Fish Course Meals for Christmas For Every Continent

If you’re hosting a Christmas Eve Party or get-together then you want some fish course meal to be a part of your menu then this article is for you.

We’ve gathered a variety of fish recipes for Christmas from every continent, so you’ll be covered no matter where you live.

So whatever your location, religion, beliefs, tradition and culture, a fish course meal will never go wrong. Here are some of the best recipes from different continents:

Christmas Fish Course Meal from Africa

Fish Couscous

Fish Couscous is popular in Tunisian Coast, published in Food by mersaydees. The total preparation time for this dish is 2 hours and 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lbs (1.5 kg) firm-fleshed fish, cut into large slices
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, cut in chunks
• 3 carrots, cut into chunks
• 3 small turnips, quartered
• 3 zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 cup cabbage, shredded
• ½ cup shelled peas
• 3 tomatoes, skinned and quartered
• Salt
• 1 pinch cayenne
• 2 quarts (2 liters) water
• 1 lb (500 grams) couscous
• 3 tablespoons oil
• ½ teaspoon saffron thread
• harissa
• Tabil (can substitute ground cumin and coriander) click here for recipe
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed
• 1½ teaspoons caraway seeds
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon crushed dried chili

DIRECTIONs:

1. Make a fish stock by placing the fish heads and vegetable trimmings, salt, cayenne and 5 cups water in a large pan.
2. Simmer stock for 20 minutes, then strain and reserve.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous for steaming. Place grains in a large bowl with 2½ cups of water. Stir well and set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff up the grains between your fingers to get rid of any lumps. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the oil.
4. Heat remaining oil in a large heavy pan and saute the onions until golden. Add the celery, carrots, turnips and the stock, adding water, if necessary, to make up 2 quarts (2 liters).
5. Make the tabil: pound all tabil ingredients in a mortar, then dry in a preheated oven at 200 degrees F for about half an hour. When very dry, grind to a fine powder (keeps up to 4 months if stored in an airtight container).
6. Stir in the saffron, 1½ teaspoons of tabil and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add the remaining vegetables.
8. Place the couscous into a steamer, or in a colander lined with cheesecloth, to fit on top of the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes. Check the liquid level and add more water if necessary, keeping it at a steady simmer so that the steam penetrates the couscous.
9. Add the fish to the stock and simmer until cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
10. Turn the couscous out into a large bowl, breaking up any lumps with a fork.
11. To make a hot-tasting sauce, take out a ladleful of stock and stir in harissa, or paprika and cayenne, to taste.
12. Serve the stew on top of the couscous or separately.

America (North and South)

Sole with Lemon-Butter Sauce

A combination of these simple ingredients like butter, lemon and white wine you can create a delicious and healthy fish dish within 20 minutes from the Martha Stewart blog.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 sole fillets (3 to 4 ounces (90 to 110 grams) each)
• 16 very thin lemon slices (from 1 to 2 lemons), seeds removed
• Juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
• Coarse salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the wine in a large, lidded skillet. Fold each sole fillet into thirds. Arrange in the skillet; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Lay two overlapping lemon slices on each piece of fish.
2. Bring wine to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer gently until fish is opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes. With a spatula, transfer fish to serving plates.
3. Return liquid in skillet to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/3 cup, 1 to 2 minutes. Add lemon juice; remove from heat. Whisk in butter until smooth. Season with salt; strain, if desired. Serve with fish; garnish with fresh herbs and pepper, if desired.

Asia

Fish with Mango Salsa

With only 20 minutes total preparation and cooking time and only eight ingredients you can create a heavenly fish dish from Taste.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 mangoes, peeled
• 1 telegraph cucumber, halved, deseeded
• 4 white-fleshed fish fillets (700g total), skin on (like blue-eye, barramundi or ling)
• 3 limes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped dressed salad leaves, to serve

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut mango flesh into 1½ cm (½ inch) cubes. Place into a bowl. Cut cucumber into 1½ cm (½ inch) cubes. Add to mango. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Thinly slice 2 limes. Cut 4 large squares of baking paper. Arrange lime slices down the center of each sheet of paper. Place fish, skin-side down, onto the lime slices. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap fish tightly in the baking paper.
3. Place onto microwave turntable. Cook on MEDIUM (50%) power for 10 minutes, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork.
4. Meanwhile, juice the remaining lime. Combine juice, oil, sugar, parsley, and salt and pepper in a screw-top jar. Shake well to mix. Pour over mango mixture. Toss gently to combine. Arrange fish on serving plates. Spoon over salsa. Serve with salad.

Australia

Red Mullet with Jewelled Wild Rice

Red mullet with jeweled wild rice by Jamie Oliver from his blog “Aussie Christmas Recipes.”

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 x 250 g (½ pound) whole red mullet, scaled and gutted (from sustainable sources)
• ½ bunch of fresh lemon thyme
• 4 slices of higher-welfare thin-cut smoked pancetta
• olive oil

JEWELLED WILD RICE

• 300 g (10 ounces) mixed wild rice
• 1 pomegranate
• ½ bunch of fresh mint
• ½ bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon
• extra virgin olive oil

TAPENADE

• ½ x 295-gram jar of black olives (5 ounces)
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1 pinch of dried chili flakes
• 1 pinch of fennel seeds
• 20 g (¾ ounce) blanched almonds
• 1 sundried tomato
• extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start by preparing your jeweled wild rice. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside while you work on your fish.
2. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7. Slash the mullet skin three to four times (don’t cut too far into the flesh). Pop a few sprigs of lemon thyme into each cavity and season well.
3. Wrap the head of each fish in a slice of pancetta and drizzle with a little olive oil. Pop the fish on a large roasting tin and roast for 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, make your tapenade. Drain and soak the olives in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Drain well, then remove the stones.
5. Peel the garlic, then bash in a pestle and mortar with the dried chili flakes and fennel seeds until fine. Tip into a bowl.
6. Roughly chop the almonds, olives, and sundried tomato and add to the bowl, followed by the spice mix and extra virgin olive oil.
7. Tip the rice into a large bowl. Halve and bash the pomegranate with a spoon so the seeds fall into the bowl.
8. Pick, chop and add the mint and parsley leaves along with the lemon zest and a squeeze of juice. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Mix well.
9. When the fish is cooked, remove it from the oven and leave to rest for 2 minutes.
10. Arrange the rice on a platter, lay the fish on top and serve with the tapenade on the side.

Europe

Baked Gilt Head Bream with Lemon and Herbs

Spanish Sabores, has posted a recipe based on Spain’s popular fish, Bream or Dorada.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 doradas (gilt head bream) that have been cleaned and prepared for baking (ask your fishmonger to do this)
• 1 lemon
• 1 fish bouillon cube
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Fresh parsley and/or other herbs (I used a dried Herbs de Provence blend)
• Salt and pepper

Picadillo

• 3 firm tomatoes (green, salad tomatoes are best)
• 1 medium sized red bell pepper
• 1 medium red onion
• Red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Set the oven to bake at 285°F (140°C)
2. In a small bowl mix the wine, olive oil, juice from half the lemon, a pinch of salt, pepper, half a bouillon cube, and the dried herbs (if using).
3. Make three large cuts diagonally across each fish.
4. Place the fish on a baking sheet and cover with the marinade.
5. Cut the other half of the lemon into 6 round slices and place one slice in each crevice.
6. Dissolve the other half of the bouillon cube in a ¼ cup of hot water and halfway through the cooking process cover in the liquid.
7. Put the fish in the oven on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes.
8. For the picadillo, remove the seeds and pulp from the tomato and cut in a small dice.
9. Deseed the red pepper and do the same, and cut the onion into a small dice too. Season the salsa with salt and pepper and dress with vinegar and olive oil.
10. Enjoy! To eat the fish slowly pull off the spines and try to get most of the bones out in a few pulls. However, be extremely careful while eating that you don’t swallow any bones.

Antarctica

Since Antarctica is a place covered with ice, we cannot offer you a recipe that originated in this continent. However, those of you in Antarctica over Christmas can of enjoy any of the above recipes.

On the next article, we will share with you recipes for your main course for Christmas Eve.