Baked Shrimp Cocktail with Salsa Verde
Not your typical shrimp cocktail recipe—this one calls for herb-packed salsa verde in lieu of cocktail sauce.
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View CartFeast of the Seven Fishes: 10 Italian Christmas Recipes
The Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition, could really be called “the feast of at least seven fishes.” From shrimp cocktail with salsa verde to calamari in tomato sauce to roasted salmon, the dinner is a seafood celebration that’s anything but one-note. Kyle Bellucci Johanson’s recipes are full of fresh herbs, plenty of citrus and seasonal vegetables to make the meal vibrant and festive.
PREP + COOK:
45 minutes
CHILL:
4+ hours
YIELD:
4 servings
Ingredients
- For the shrimp:
- 2 pounds shrimp (about 12–15 shrimp)
- 3 lemons
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- For the Salsa Verde
- ½ cup fresh mint, loosely packed
- ½ cup fresh basil, loosely packed
- ½ cup fresh parsley, loosely packed
- 4 sprigs tarragon
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon capers
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉
- Prepare the shrimp. Rinse, peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Thinly slice 1 of the lemons. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp and lemon slices in the olive oil, kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Spread the shrimp and lemon slices on a baking sheet in one layer, working in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan. Bake the shrimp in the oven 8–10 minutes, until they are pink and just cooked through. When cool, place the shrimp and lemon slices in an air-tight container, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Make the salsa verde. In a kitchen blender, combine the mint, basil, parsley, tarragon, garlic, capers, kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Using a microplane, zest the lemon and add the zest to the blender. Cut the lemon in half; squeeze half of the lemon through a fine-mesh strainer into the blender. On medium-low speed, blend the ingredients. With the blender going, slowly pour in the olive oil and keep blending until the salsa verde is smooth.
- Before serving the shrimp, discard the cooked lemon and slice the remaining lemon into wedges. Serve the shrimp cocktail in a chilled bowl or over ice with the lemon wedges. Serve the salsa verde in a separate bowl on the side.
Negroni Natale
Put a festive spin on a classic negroni with rosemary and blood oranges.
PREP:
3 minutes
MIX:
2 minutes
YIELD:
6 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Campari or other red amaro
- 12 ounces gin
- 12 ounces white vermouth
- 6 large ice cubes
- 2 blood oranges, thinly sliced crosswise
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
Directions
- In a pitcher, stir the gin, amaro and vermouth. Place 1 ice cube each into 6 double old-fashioned glasses. Divide the negroni among the 6 glasses.
- Garnish each cocktail with a slice of the blood orange and a sprig of rosemary.
Hugo Spritz
It’s not an Italian feast without a spritz.
PREP:
3 minutes
MIX:
2 minutes
YIELD:
1 serving
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Fiorente, St. Germain or other elderflower liqueur
- 4 ounces Prosecco
- 1 splash soda water
- Ice cubes, to serve
- Pomegranate seeds, to garnish
Directions
- Fill a wine glass halfway with ice cubes. Add the elderflower liqueur, Prosecco and a splash of soda water. Garnish the spritz with a few pomegranate seeds. Cin-cin!
Pasta con le Sarde (Pasta with Sardines)
This pasta recipe features typical Sicilian ingredients like sardines, fennel and pine nuts.
PREP:
40 minutes
REST:
20 minutes
YIELD:
4-6 servings
Ingredients
- For the Pasta
- 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups semolina flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½–1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- For the Sauce
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 bulb fennel; thinly sliced, stalks and fronds reserved
- 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 anchovy filets
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 6 wild-caught sardines filets (fresh or canned)
- 1 tablespoon dried currants (or raisins, if unavailable)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- 1 lemon
Directions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the semolina flour, all-purpose flour and sea salt. Add ½ cup of water and the olive oil. Mix on medium speed and add the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a moderately stiff dough.
- Using the electric mixer or your hands, knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in a towel or place it in a plastic bag and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Using a pasta maker or an electric mixer fitted with a pasta attachment, roll out the dough until it is just transparent. Using a pasta maker on the spaghetti setting, cut the dough into spaghetti.
- On a surface dusted generously with semolina flour, set the pasta aside until you are ready to use it. If you don’t plan on using the pasta immediately, dry it out by leaving it uncovered in a cool, dry place overnight. (I prefer to make it in advance as the dried pasta produces a better al dente texture, plus it’s less work on the day of the big event.)
- In a large, flat-bottom pan over medium heat, toast the breadcrumbs and pine nuts until they are golden brown. Transfer the breadcrumbs and pine nuts to a plate and set them aside.
- In the pan you used for the breadcrumbs, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the sliced fennel, onion, garlic, anchovies, ground fennel seeds and red pepper flakes for 5–6 minutes, until the fennel is tender and the anchovies have dissolved. Add the sardines, currants, wine and saffron. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half and the sardines are falling apart.
- Fill a large pot over medium-high heat with generously salted water (it should taste like the sea) and bring it to a boil. Add the fennel stalks and blanch them for 2–3 minutes, until they are tender. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon or spider, and reserve the boiling water for the pasta. Finely chop the fennel stalks and add them to the sauce.
- Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until it is not quite al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water and strain the spaghetti. Add the pasta and pasta cooking water to the sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce clings to the noodles. Turn off the heat.
- Using a microplane, zest the lemon. Add the zest, half of the breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to the pasta and toss it all together until the pasta is coated.
- Serve the pasta in a large bowl and top it with the remaining breadcrumbs and the fennel fronds. Just before serving, squeeze half of the lemon over the dish through a fine-mesh strainer. Buon appetito!
“Galamaad” Pomodoro (Calamari in Tomato Sauce)
Calamari at home? Yes, you can!
PREP:
30 minutes
COOK:
90 minutes
YIELD:
4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds squid
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for cooking
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 14-ounce can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
Directions
- Rinse the squid. Using a sharp knife, separate the tentacles from each squid and slice the rest into rings, about ½” thick.
- In a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, heat a thin layer of olive oil. Sauté the tomato paste, red pepper flakes, onion and garlic for 8–10 minutes, until the onion and garlic are translucent. Add the squid and sauté for 3–4 minutes, until any liquid evaporates and the squid is springy and opaque. Add the wine and reduce it by half, scraping up any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the oregano and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour, partially covered, stirring occasionally to ensure the sauce doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pot. Season with the kosher salt.
- Serve the calamari in a bowl topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the fresh mint and parsley.
Calabrian Citrus-Chili Salmon and Charred Broccolini with Harissa Aioli and Mint Gremolata
Simple roasted salmon becomes Christmas dinner-worthy thanks to a super-flavorful sauce and Mediterannean-inspired harissa aioli.
PREP:
15 minutes
BAKE:
45 minutes
YIELD:
4 servings
Ingredients
- For the salmon
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon oil-packed Calabrian chiles, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 6 green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1 lemon, zested and sliced into ¼”-thick rounds
- 1 blood orange, zested and sliced into ¼"-thick rounds
- ¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- 2 pounds skinless salmon filet
- 4 tablespoons parsley, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves, torn
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- For the broccolini
- 1 cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 anchovy filets
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ½ cup fresh mint, finely chopped and loosely packed
- ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped and loosely packed
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon harissa, plus more for serving
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting
- 2 pounds broccolini
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 275ºF.
- In a small saucepan, bring the honey, olive oil, garlic, chiles, capers, olives and citrus zest to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors mingle.
- In a shallow baking dish, toss the orange slices, lemon slices and fennel seeds with a drizzle of olive oil; season with kosher salt. Season the salmon on all sides with kosher salt and place it on top of the citrus slices. Pour the sauce over the salmon. Roast the salmon in the oven for 30–40 minutes, until it is slightly opaque.
- In a dry skillet, toast the pine nuts until they are golden brown. Transfer them to a small bowl to cool. In the same skillet, toast the breadcrumbs and anchovies about 5 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the anchovies have dissolved. Transfer them to a medium bowl to cool.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the lemon juice for the aioli and add the remaining juice to the breadcrumbs. Add the lemon zest, mint, parsley, pomegranate seeds, half of the pine nuts and a pinch of kosher salt.
- In a blender, blend the remaining pine nuts, 1 tablespoon of the harissa, the lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt on high speed. Lower the speed to medium and slowly add the olive oil. Keep blending until you have a silky smooth aioli.
- Set the oven to broil. On a baking sheet, toss the broccolini in the olive oil and sprinkle it with kosher salt. Broil the broccolini for 4–6 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are charred and the broccolini is cooked through.
- Spoon some harissa aioli onto a platter and arrange the broccolini on top. Sprinkle the gremolata over the entire dish and serve with the remaining aioli on the side.
For the salmon
For the broccolini
Insalata di Finocchi e Arance (Fennel and Orange Salad)
Fennel and orange make a classic Italian salad served between courses as a palate cleanser.
PREP:
20 minutes
TOSS:
5 minutes
YIELD:
2-4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 blood orange
- 1 Cara Cara orange
- 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large or 2 small fennel bulb(s); thinly sliced, fronds reserved
- ¼ cup toasted almonds, thinly sliced, or pine nuts
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest off of the blood orange, Cara Cara orange and lemon. Thinly slice the citrus zests into matchsticks and juice the lemon. In a large bowl, toss the citrus zests with the lemon juice, red pepper flakes and kosher salt.
- Slice the rind off of the oranges, making sure to remove all of the bitter white pith while leaving the fruit intact. Slice the oranges into pinwheels, about ¼” thick.
- Toss the fennel and orange slices in the bowl with the citrus zests and lemon juice. In a salad bowl or platter, arrange the salad. Drizzle with the olive oil and garnish with the almonds and fennel fronds.
Citrus-Miso Fish Stew with Sourdough Crostini
The not-so-traditional addition of miso gives this fish stew a hit of salt and umami.
PREP:
15 minutes
COOK:
25 minutes
YIELD:
4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 thick slices sourdough bread
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and drizzling
- 5 cloves garlic
- 4 oil-packed Calabrian chiles, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 lemon, zested and sliced into wedges
- 1 blood orange, zested and juiced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup anise liqueur such as Pernod, Sambuca or Strega
- 1 cup clam juice or fish stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed
- ¾ pound crab legs or shrimp, shells intact
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- On a baking sheet, toast the bread for 8 minutes, until golden. Brush the toasts with olive oil and rub them all over with 1 whole garlic clove. Place 1 piece of toast each in the bottom of 4 soup bowls.
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat ¼ cup of olive oil. Add the garlic, chiles and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste deepens in color. Add the lemon zest, orange zest, shallots, celery and fennel and cook for 7–8 minutes, until the shallots are translucent.
- Carefully add the anise liqueur and let the alcohol cook off for 2 minutes. Add the fish stock, blood orange juice and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Add the clams and cook them, covered, for 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to high. Add the mussels and crab legs and cook, covered, for 3–4 minutes, until the clams and mussels open and the crab is cooked through.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer the seafood to the bowls. Bring the broth to a boil and cook for 1 minute, until it is just slightly reduced. Stir in the miso and parsley until the miso dissolves. Taste the broth and season with kosher salt.
- Pour the broth into the bowls. Drizzle each bowl with oil and serve with the lemon wedges.
Blood Orange Sorbetto
Cap off your feast with a light, bright blood orange sorbetto.
PREP:
20 minutes
CHILL:
6+ hours
YIELD:
8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds blood oranges (or other orange variety, if unavailable)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup honey
- Amaretti cookies, for serving
Directions
- Zest the oranges until you have 1 ½ tablespoons of zest. In a heavy, medium saucepan over high heat, combine the water, honey and orange zest. Cook, stirring constantly, until boiling, then remove from the heat.
- Using a sharp knife, cut all of the peel and pith off the oranges. In a high-speed blender, purée the peeled oranges for about 30 seconds, until they are smooth. Measure 2 ½ cups of the orange puree and mix it into the honey syrup. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- In an ice cream maker, process the orange mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the sorbetto to a shallow container and freeze.
- Let the sorbetto sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Top each bowl with crushed amaretti cookies. I like to serve this sorbetto with coffee or a digestivo I make using wild fennel from my garden.