A Feast of the 7 Fishes Menu for Christmas Eve

Start your meal with a small bite — after all, you've got six more dishes to eat! These lobster roll-inspired deviled eggs combine two fun foods into one delicious dish. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly dish, substitute pre-cooked shrimp for the lobster tail.

These tiny bites are perfect for a crowd. Save time the day of the party by preparing the crab mixture one day ahead. Cut and store the sliced bread in an airtight container until ready to assemble, and then broil as the recipe instructs shortly before party time.

Celery is such an underrated vegetable, often used as a flavor accent for soups or Thanksgiving stuffing. But it shines as the star in a salad, thanks to its fantastic crunch and naturally salty flavor. For ease and speed, we advise slicing thinly on a mandoline. To slice by hand, line up 3 stalks side-by-side and slice all at once instead of slicing each stalk individually. The crisp texture of the salad provides a nice contrast to the creamy-meaty scallops. Golden raisins are a surprising and delicious addition, offering a pop of sweetness and chewy texture; you can substitute regular raisins, dried currants, or dried cranberries.

Using a slow cooker for this hearty seafood stew allows the flavors in the broth mixture to fully develop before you stir in the seafood near the end of the cooking time. Plus, it saves on stove and oven space.

Salty, umami-packed prosciutto complements the sweet shrimp and tomatoes in this 20-minute dish. Main courses are still to come, so don't go overboard on the portions here. 

Slow-roasting at a low temperature is a nearly fool-proof way to cook fish without overcooking it, plus it leaves you free to work on other dishes. The rich, buttery flavor and firm, flaky texture of halibut shine in this recipe. Take it to the next level by putting fresh herbs and lemon slices under the fillets while you cook them in the oven to perfume the fish.

A quick braise is the best way to keep lean white fish like cod incredibly moist. The fillets cook in a gently simmering sauce, basted by aromatic steam in the covered pan. This is an ideal method for other lean white fish that can dry out easily, such as halibut, haddock, striped bass, or grouper.