It’s an incredibly simple recipe, which only takes about 15 minutes to make. I usually serve clams casino as an appetizer, but it can also be served a main course. In my family, La Festa dei Sette Pesci usually consists of fried smelts, shrimp cooked scampi style with pasta and/or fried shrimp, baked scallops with breadcrumbs, fried grey of sole, haddock prepared pizza aeola style ( see Episode 5: Pizza Aeola), and the two recipes we share in this episode: clams casino and calamari ripieni (stuffed calamari) in tomato sauce served with spaghetti. The fish can be any type of fish, including baccala, scungilli salad, calamari salad, baked cod, stuffed baked lobster, and many other types. It makes for a longer meal and more time with family and friends!
Seven, however, has evolved to many different numbers– 9, 11, 13, etc., so many families serve more. Baby Jesus’ birth on Christmas represents this perfect completion, and seven fish are served for this reason.
The reason seven fish are served tie back to Christian tradition as well, specifically to the frequency at which number seven is referred to in the Bible, with seven representing perfect completion.
Buona Natale! Mama Lombardo enjoying calamari ripieni and clams casino with her family
