Feast of the Seven Fishes on the Grill: Seven Seafood Courses

Seven Fishes, One Fire: The Feast of the Seven Fishes on the Arteflame

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is the Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition of serving seven seafood courses in one sitting. This version cooks every course outdoors: shrimp skewers, seared scallops, charred calamari, clams oreganata, mussels in white wine, cod with tomatoes, and butter-basted lobster tails. It serves 8, takes about 45 minutes of prep and 60 minutes of cooking, and works on any grill with a hot side and a cool side.

I have cooked this feast on my own grill for years, and what surprised me the first time was how calm it felt. Seafood cooks in minutes, so the evening becomes a steady rhythm of sear, slide, serve.

Ingredients

Shrimp Skewers

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Seared Scallops

• 1 lb dry sea scallops, patted dry
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Grilled Calamari

• 1 lb cleaned calamari, tubes and tentacles
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Clams Oreganata

• 24 littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Lemon wedges for serving

Mussels in White Wine

• 2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Cod with Tomatoes

• 1 1/2 lbs cod fillets
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup pitted olives
• 2 tbsp capers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt, black pepper and dried oregano to taste

Lobster Tails

• 4 lobster tails, split lengthwise
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Light the fire and set your zones

1. Light a hardwood fire in the center of the Arteflame 45 minutes ahead, until the center grate nears 1,000°F and the outer flat top runs from hot inside to gentle at the rim. On a conventional grill, run one side high and one side low with a cast-iron griddle on the low side.

Step 2: Marinate the shrimp and calamari

1. Toss the shrimp with 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper; refrigerate 30 minutes, no longer.
2. Toss the calamari with 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves garlic and lemon juice for 20 minutes. Citrus breaks down seafood flesh if left too long, so keep to these times. Skewer the shrimp and pat the calamari dry.

Step 3: Start the cod and clams on the outer ring

1. Lay the cod on the cooler middle band of the flat top, scatter the tomatoes, olives, capers and garlic over it, drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt, pepper and oregano.
2. Set the clams hinge-side down nearby. Mix the breadcrumbs, 3 cloves garlic, Parmesan, parsley and 1/4 cup olive oil and spoon it over each clam as it opens.
3. Cook both 15 to 20 minutes, sliding toward the rim if the crumbs brown too fast, until the cod flakes. On a conventional grill, bake both in a 375°F oven.

Step 4: Steam the mussels in a pot on the flat top

1. Set a lidded pot on the hotter inner band of the flat top and sweat the shallot and 3 cloves garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add the mussels, thyme and wine, cover, and cook 6 to 8 minutes until open. Slide the pot to the rim to hold; discard any that stay shut.

Step 5: Sear the scallops, calamari and shrimp over the center

1. Season the scallops and sear on the center grate 90 seconds per side until deeply browned, then roll them in the butter and 1 tbsp parsley on the flat top for 30 seconds.
2. Sear the calamari 1 to 2 minutes per side until lightly charred, then the shrimp skewers 2 minutes per side until just opaque. Park everything on the outer ring as it finishes.

Step 6: Finish with the lobster tails

1. Stir the melted butter with 2 cloves garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper and brush the split tails.
2. Grill cut-side down on the center grate 4 to 5 minutes, flip, brush again and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until opaque. Serve everything straight from the cooktop.

Tips

On a single-zone gas grill the cod and clams want 375°F for twenty minutes while the scallops and lobster want the hottest sear you can find, so you end up juggling foil pans and burner knobs. The Arteflame solves that structurally: cod and clams bake on the outer ring, the mussel pot simmers on the inner band, and the center grate holds 1,000°F for the sear, all at once.

• Buy dry-packed scallops. Wet-packed ones are treated with phosphates and release water on the grate, which steams them instead of searing.
• Pat the calamari bone dry and keep it to 1 to 2 minutes per side; squid turns rubbery within a minute of overcooking.
• Bank the cod toward the rim the moment the tomatoes blister; the edge holds it at a bare simmer while the shellfish takes the center.

Variations

Tradition sets the number at seven, not the dishes. Swap courses based on what your fish counter has.

• Swap the cod for halibut or sea bass if you want a firmer fillet that holds together on the flat top.
• Replace the calamari with pre-cooked octopus tentacles, seared 2 minutes per side on the center grate.
• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and a spoon of tomato paste to the mussel pot for an arrabbiata-style broth.
• Grill a whole branzino on the flat top, 8 minutes per side, in place of the cod.

Best Pairings

Keep sides simple and bright, and pour whites with enough acidity to stand up to garlic and lemon.

• Pinot Grigio, Vermentino or a dry Riesling for the shellfish and calamari.
• A light Pinot Noir alongside the lobster and buttery scallops.
• Lemon-herb couscous or saffron rice to catch the cod juices.
• Crusty Italian bread, grilled on the flat top, for the mussel broth.

Bring the Feast Outside This Year

Cooking seven courses over live fire turns a kitchen marathon into the best part of the evening. Guests drift toward the heat and courses come off the steel one after another.

Light the Arteflame early on Christmas Eve, set your zones, and let the fire do the pacing. Seven fishes, one round of steel, and a table full of people who will talk about it until next December.