This year’s December/January food shoot aims to keep you sated from Yule to the new year and beyond, and takes its inspiration from the way in which recipes and traditions are refined and changed depending on what you’re celebrating and with whom.

It’s not without a little irony that we’ve looked to the Festa dei Sette Pesci (feast of the seven fishes), an authentically European-sounding name for a firmly Italian Christmas Eve tradition in which seven dishes containing seafood are combined to make a mighty meal. In fact, so little is it known in the old country that the recent reference to it in Hulu’s tense culinary drama The Bear might be many actual Italians’ first taste of the idea.

Like so many rituals – from gifts of myrrh to jolly men with reindeers – the original idea feels far away from how things are done today. Perhaps those far-off Catholic predilections for abstaining from meat before feast days in Italy count for something but the roots of the ritual are less important than the message. Preparing and sharing a meal with your nearest and dearest matters. Oh, and we didn’t put fish in any of the three dessert recipes – and wouldn’t suggest that you do either. Enjoy the spread and buon appetito. — L

Lemony garlic prawns
Serves 4

Ingredients

12 large prawns (biggest you can find with shells on)
3 tbsps olive oil
4 peeled garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsps good white wine
2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
10g curly parsley, roughly chopped (save some leaves for garnish)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cut the prawns through the shell with kitchen scissors, starting under the head and stopping before the tail. Remove and discard the vein with a fork. Repeat with the remaining prawns.
2. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a frying pan until sizzling. Add the prawns and cook until they are pink on both sides.
3. Add the white wine and lemon juice. When the sauce starts bubbling, add half of the chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper, and toss lightly and remove from heat.
4. Serve the prawns with the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

Blinis with trout roe
Makes 16 blinis

Ingredients

40g buckwheat flour
60g strong white flour
½ tsp fast-action yeast
Pinch of salt
100ml whole milk
65ml sour cream
1 medium free-range egg, separated
Vegetable oil (for frying)
220ml sour cream (for topping)
85g trout roe
Small bunch of dill (for garnish)

Method
1. Prepare the batter by mixing the flours, salt and yeast in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Heat the milk gently (don’t let it get too hot or bubble) and pour into the well, whisking to combine with the flour. In another bowl, mix sour cream and egg yolk, then add to the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 to 40 minutes until bubbly.
2. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter.
3. Cook the blinis by heating 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Drop 1 tbsp batter per blini and cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
4. Spoon 1 tsp sour cream on each blini, top with ½ tsp trout roe, and garnish with a sprig of dill.

Serves 4 as a main or 8 as a starter

Ingredients

3 tbsps olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped (reserve fronds for garnish)
½ tsp sea salt
550ml fish stock (or water)
150ml dry white wine
400ml passata
2 large pinches of saffron
400g mussels (washed in running water and debearded)
8 prawns, heads and shells on
300g squid, cleaned
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

Method

1. Prepare seafood by cutting the squid into rings and slicing tentacles into bite-sized pieces. Using kitchen scissors, cut each prawn shell under the head until just before the tail, then use a fork to remove and discard the vein.
2. To cook the aromatics, heat olive oil, garlic and fennel seeds over medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Add onion, fennel and a pinch of salt; cook until soft and translucent.
3. Pour in fish stock or water, passata, white wine and saffron. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add mussels, prawns and squid into the pan, then cover and poach gently until the mussels open, the prawns turn pink and the squid becomes opaque. Discard any unopened mussels. Season with salt and pepper.
5. To serve, divide the soup into bowls, garnish with fennel fronds and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Roasted branzino with grilled courgette
Serves 4

Ingredients

700g whole sea bass, scaled and cleaned
10g dill
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tbsps olive oil
400g cherry tomatoes on the vine
2 red onions (¼ of an onion thinly sliced, for stuffing, and 1¾ onions cut into quarters)
750g baby potatoes
1½ tbsps olive oil
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 courgettes
3 branches fresh oregano, roughly chopped
3 tbsps olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Bring water to boil with ½ tsp salt. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then drain. Place potatoes in a roasting dish with thyme, salt, pepper and 1½ tbsps olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare sea bass by patting it dry. Drizzle with olive oil, season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff with dill, sliced onion and lemon.
4. Arrange cherry tomatoes and remaining onion in a baking dish, season with olive oil, salt and pepper, and place fish on top. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes. Serve with roasted potatoes.

For the courgette

1. Slice the courgette lengthwise into 5mm-thick pieces.
2. Mix slices with olive oil and chopped oregano. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a grill pan and grill the courgette until grill marks appear on both sides.

Spaghetti alle vongole with white wine and pangrattato
Serves 4

Ingredients

For clams
15g sea salt
1kg clams (from the fishmonger)

For pangrattato (breadcrumbs)
2 tbsps olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped
30g panko breadcrumbs
¾ tsp chilli flakes

For the pasta
400g linguine
3 tbsps olive oil
6 peeled garlic cloves, finely chopped
150ml good white wine
40g curly parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Wash the clams thoroughly and set apart evenly in a shallow tray. Stir and dissolve 15g sea salt in 500ml water, then pour the saline solution over the clams, ensuring that they are half-soaked. Cover with a tea towel and leave for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to an hour (for the clams to release any sand). Discard the water and let the clams drain in a sieve for 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, add garlic and anchovy, and cook gently until the anchovy dissolves and begins to sizzle. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly until golden. Stir in the chilli flakes, then set aside.
3. Boil water with a generous amount of salt in a large pot. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the packet instructions.
4. To cook the clams, heat oil and garlic in a frying pan until golden. Add the white wine and clams, cover with a glass lid and increase the heat. Remove every clam as their shells open, placing them in a bowl. This will prevent the clams from overcooking and keep them juicy and delicious. Discard any clams that don’t open after five minutes on a high heat but keep the sauce.
5. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, save 3 tbsps of the cooking water then drain. Add pasta and the retained water to the frying pan containing the clam sauce. Add chopped parsley and black pepper, stirring well to coat the pasta. The sauce should be thickened and glossy. The clams will release some salted water so you shouldn’t need to season with salt.
6. Divide the pasta and clams between 4 bowls, spoon the crunchy breadcrumbs over the top and serve.

Squid ink pasta with bottarga
Serves 4 as main or 8 as a starter

Ingredients

270g cherry tomatoes on vine
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
400g spaghetti
4 tbsps olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chilli flakes
400g squid, cleaned and sliced
120ml dry white wine
4 sachets (4g each) of squid ink
120ml pasta water
20g finely grated bottarga (you can buy a whole bottarga from a good fishmonger or a powdered version in many delis or grocery shops)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Place cherry tomatoes in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes and set aside.
2. Bring water to a boil, add salt and cook spaghetti for 1 minute less than the package instructions.
3. Prepare the squid ink sauce by heating olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and chilli flakes. Stir-in the squid and cook for 2 minutes, then add the white wine and squid ink. Simmer until the sauce is glossy.
4. Add pasta water to the sauce, then drain the pasta and mix in the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Divide pasta into bowls, top with roasted tomatoes, sprinkle with bottarga and serve.

Caesar salad with anchovies and boiled eggs
Serves 4 as main or 8 as a starter

Ingredients

200g ciabatta or 4 slices sourdough, cut into large cubes
2 tbsps olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 medium eggs
600g chicken breast, skin on or off
2 tsps olive oil
1 large romaine lettuce, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, then drained
1 small red onion, thinly sliced and kept in cold water
8 anchovy fillets
35g parmesan, shaved

For caesar dressing
70g good-quality mayonnaise
½ small garlic clove, grated
1 anchovy, finely minced
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp light brown sugar or maple syrup
25g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 180C. Toss bread cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crunchy.
2. Heat a griddle pan over high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Grill for 3 minutes on each side, then transfer to an ovenproof dish and bake for 10 minutes or until cooked through. You can test it by piercing the thickest part of the chicken. If the juice runs clear, the chicken is cooked. Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice.
3. Bring water to a boil, add eggs, and cook for 7 minutes for a soft yolk. Cool eggs under cold running water and peel when ready.
4. Make the dressing by mixing all dressing ingredients until smooth.
5. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, drained red onions and croutons. Arrange rge chicken slices, halved eggs and anchovies on top. Sprinkle with shaved parmesan, drizzle with dressing and serve.

Recipe
Cannoli with pistachio cream
Makes 12

Equipment

12 cannoli moulds
Pasta machine (optional)

Ingredients

For cannoli shells
180g plain flour
2 tsps caster sugar
¼ tsp salt
30g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 medium egg, separated
50ml marsala wine
Vegetable oil (for frying)

For pistachio filling
500g ricotta, strained for 1 hour
60g icing sugar
8 tbsps pistachio butter
20g pistachios, roughly chopped
Icing sugar (for dusting)

Method

1. To make cannoli dough, mix flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in butter until combined. Mix egg yolk and marsala wine in another bowl, add to flour mixture and mix until it forms a dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface, until it becomes smooth. If the dough is still sticky you can add more flour. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
2. Mix the ricotta, icing sugar and pistachio butter. Place in a piping bag and refrigerate.
3. To shape the cannoli, roll dough to 1mm in thickness, cut into 11cm circles. Wrap around cannoli moulds and seal with egg white.
4. Heat oil to 160C. Fry cannoli for 1-2 minutes until golden. Remove moulds, fry cannoli for an additional 30 seconds, then leave to cool.
5. When cannoli is ready to serve, pipe the filling into shells (don’t do this too far ahead of time or the pastry may become soggy), dip ends in chopped pistachios and dust with icing sugar.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

4 medium eggs, separated into yolks and whites
120g caster sugar
250g fresh mascarpone cheese
100ml double cream
180ml espresso (about 5 shots)
30 finger sponges
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Star anise and redcurrants (or other red berries) for decoration

Method

1. To make the cream, beat the egg yolks with half the sugar until pale and airy. Add the mascarpone and mix until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the mascarpone mixture.
3. Beat the egg whites.
4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar, one spoonful at a time, and beating well after each addition. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the mascarpone cream, then fold in the rest to keep the mixture light and airy.
5. In a 20cm x 25cm x 5cm dish, layer half of the finger sponges and drizzle with half of the espresso. Then spread half of the mascarpone cream over the sponges. Repeat with the remaining sponges and cream.
6. Dust the top with cocoa powder, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour or, ideally, overnight. To serve, decorate with star anise and redcurrants.
Chef’s tip: This recipe can – and should – be prepared a day in advance.

Zabaione with strawberry
Serves 4

Ingredients

400g strawberries, halved
2 tsps caster sugar
4 tsps fresh orange juice
Grated orange peel

For zabaglione
50g caster sugar
4 medium egg yolks
80ml marsala wine
15g dark chocolate (optional, for garnish)
Amaretti biscuits or finger sponges (for serving)

Method

1. Mix strawberries with caster sugar, orange juice and half of the grated orange peel, and leave to macerate.
2. To make the zabaglione, bring water to a simmer in a saucepan. In a heatproof bowl, whisk sugar, yolks and marsala over the simmering water until creamy and fluffy (you can use an electric hand mixer for this).
3. Divide strawberries into glasses, spoon over zabaglione, and sprinkle with grated chocolate and the remaining orange peel. Serve with the biscuits or finger sponges.