The Secrets Behind an Italian-American Christmas Feast

We continue our “Hosting for the Holidays” series with the secrets of Chef Joe Raila’s Christmas Eve feast.  Our Executive Chef from Morton’s in Brooklyn shares his family’s vault of recipes for a delicious traditional Italian-American meal.

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Happy holidays to all!!! I love Christmas time! The countless hours at work, cold weather, long lines at the malls, extra heavy traffic and high balances on the credit cards…

Err, I mean, it’s the time for giving, family, and most of all, for cooking the special meals that are only prepared this time of the year.

Most of you know I am from an Italian American family. Well, Joe Raiola from Brooklyn…what else would I be?!?! OHHEHHOHH. Okay, enough fooling around.  Let’s get to it.

My family always has a fish feast for Christmas Eve.  Yes, “the seven fishes.”  (This tradition started in southern Italy and is also known as the Vigil, representing the celebration of the wait for the birth of baby Jesus. The fish was eaten on this day because it’s a holy day, and most Roman Catholics don’t eat meat or dairy on some of the holy days.)  So, after long conversation with my oldest Aunt Lucille, she finally broke down and gave me some of our old family tips, secrets and recipes.  She is the oldest in our family and has been cooking Christmas dinner the longest, so who better to ask?

Truthfully, there aren’t really any “recipes” per se.  Aunt Lucille instead uses the “pinch of this, pinch of that” method. The most important thing I learned from her was the techniques on how to cook this meal…not necessarily following an exact recipe. This is what separates the good food from the really good food. If you follow theses recipes, and tips!, you’ll give your guests some lasting, and delicious memories of your Christmas celebration. Here we go….

Christmas Eve at the Raiola’s
Shrimp Oreganata, Seafood Salad, Lobster FraDiavlo,
and Homemade Zeppolies with Madera and Chocolate

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Clik here to view.Seafood Salad
Yields 8 portions

Ingredients

8 oz. carrots, roughly chopped
8 oz. celery, roughly chopped
1 large onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic
6 bay leaves
3 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. conk meat
2 lbs. squid (calamari) tubes and tentacles, cleaned
1 ½ lbs. jumbo shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined
1 octopus, 6 to 8 lbs.
10 cloves of garlic
2 cups celery, small dice
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup “flavorful water”
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 lemons, juiced
Salt
Black pepper

1. A day before you plan to serve this, add the first 6 ingredients to a gallon and a half of water and let simmer until the vegetables are soft (about an hour.)
2. In the meantime, slice the squid into ¼ inch rings and pull the long tentacles off the heads. Separate the legs from the rings.
3. After the veggies are soft, strain the liquid and return it back to the stove and bring it to a rolling boil. Drop the squid rings in and cook for anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes. You want them just cooked. (The only way to check is to taste a piece, and it shouldn’t be raw or too chewy.)
4. When they’re ready, immediately put them into iced water to stop the cooking process. Do the same for the tentacles, although they might need to cook for another minute. TIP:  Timing on this is everything!!! If you cook them too long, you will make squid gummy.
5. Next add the shrimp. They are usually just about done when the water returns to a boil. Again you want them just cooked. Check to see that they’re white all the way through. Immediately put them in the ice water until cold. Same deal, overcooked = shrimp gum = no good.
6. When the water comes back up to a boil, add the conk and the octopus. Bring it to a simmer and cook the conk about 45 minutes. Let it cool and slice it as thin as possible, because it can be very chewy if sliced too thick. The octopus is going to take a little longer. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s about 1/3rd of its original size and the legs are soft enough to pull apart.
7. Save a cup of the boiling liquid, the “flavorful water.” (That’s what it’s called in my house.  The French call it a “court bouillon.”)
8. My aunt only uses the legs of the octopus, leaving the suction cups on, and throws the rest out. Slice the legs into ¼ inch thick rings.
9. Put all the seafood in a bowl and toss with the celery, parsley, red pepper, flavorful water and olive oil.
10. Refrigerate overnight and season it with lemon juice, salt and black pepper when you’re ready to serve it. Oh, and tell your guests to watch out for the whole garlic cloves!

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Clik here to view.Shrimp Oreganata
Yields 8 portions

Ingredients

2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, (16/20 count), peeled and deveined
3 cups plain breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
3 oz. extra virgin oil
¼ cup white wine (whatever you have is fine)

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients but the shrimp. Make sure there are no garlic lumps. Set aside.
2. Arrange the shrimp on a baking pan. TIP:  My aunt says not to grease the pan, because they come out better that way.
3. Pack the bread crumbs over the shrimp.
4. Bake them in at 350F oven for 30 minutes or so.
5. Serve with lemons.

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Clik here to view.Lobster FraDiavlo
Yields 8 portions

Ingredients

2 2 lb. lobsters
1 cup white onion, minced
12 cups canned crushed tomatoes (I like Red Pack brand)
2 bay leaves
1 cup broth
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh garlic, minced
2 dozen little neck clams, rinsed
12 dozen. Mussels, cleaned
1 ½ cups white wine (whatever you have)
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 oz. unsalted butter
2 lbs. linguine

1. Put two cups of water in a really large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Now add the two lobsters and cover them.  Let them steam for 3 minutes.
3. Set lobsters aside and save the broth.
4. When the lobsters are cold, split them in half with a really sharp knife, right down the middle. Now clean out the cavity and crack the claws with the back of the knife. Set aside.
5. In a medium pot, sauté the onions over medium heat, with the two tablespoons of oil, until soft.  Then add the tomatoes and the steaming liquid and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil for the linguine.
7. Now in your largest sauté pan, put the rest of the olive oil, garlic and clams on the stove over high heat to brown. When the garlic is browned, place the lobsters cut side up.
8. De-glaze with the white wine and add the mussels, red pepper and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
9. Let’s add the linguine to the boiling water, stirring often to prevent it from sticking. Let it boil for about 9 minutes for perfect al dente pasta.
10. Pull the clams and mussels out of the pan as they start to open. The lobsters should be done when the last clam comes out.
11. Strain the linguine, add it to the sauce and finish it with the basil, parsley, butter, salt and pepper.
12. Arrange beautifully on a platter and indulge!!!

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Clik here to view.Homemade Zeppoles with Chocolate and Madera Sauce
Yields 8 portions

Ingredients

2 vanilla beans, split
2 cups water
½ cup sugar
8 oz. unsalted butter
½ tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 eggs
3 cups canola oil, for frying
8 oz. milk chocolate
¼ cup heavy cream
2 cups Madera wine
1 brown paper bag
Powdered sugar

1. In a medium sauce pot, combine vanilla bean, water, salt and sugar over medium heat.
2. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir continuously until the mix forms a ball. Transfer the dough into a bowl and add 1 egg at a time. Don’t add the next egg until the first one is completely mixed in.
3. In a medium sauce pot, add the oil over medium heat. I like to fry at 350F. TIP:  If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the oil by putting a small piece of the dough in it. It should start to fry right away.
4. While you’re waiting for your oil to get hot, melt the chocolate, cream and Madera over a double boiler.
5. When your oil is ready, carefully drop about 2 tablespoons of the dough into the oil. TIP:  Don’t overcrowd the oil with too many zeppoles at once. This will cause the oil to drop in temperature.
6. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side, and then put them in the brown bag.
7. When they are all done, arrange them on a platter, drizzle the melted chocolate sauce over them and finish with lots of powdered sugar.

So if your traditional Christmas Eve dinner doesn’t include any fish, perhaps this is a great time to try a recipe or two. I want to thank my aunt for giving up some of our family tips and tricks.  And I want to wish all of you a wonderful and safe holiday season.  Thanks for your support and following. Enjoy!!!

Joe Raiola
Executive Chef
Morton’s The Steakhouse in Brooklyn