Are there any foods that are traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve? —Dave L., St. Louis
In the U.S., there is no national Christmas Eve dish (or dishes) that equate to the traditional Christmas dinner feasts of turkey, ham, prime rib, or wildfowl, such as goose, duck, or pheasant. Over the years, however, many families have developed their own traditions. So we asked around, just to see if there was any commonality.
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At the Mahe house, it’s oyster stew and tenderloin sandwiches, pork or beef, depending on how flush the cook (me) is feeling that year. SLM dining critic Dave Lowry postulates that “oyster stew is a very Midwestern choice. Because oysters were among the very first comestibles to be canned in the U.S, they were available here as an ‘exotic’ treat, as part of the Yuletide celebration.”
Although his mother usually served tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches, Lowry’s personal preference is for a New England classic, fried codfish and scrambled eggs. “My grandmother would have used salt cod from her native Nova Scotia,” he notes. “I use fresh fish just because it’s easier—with brown mustard. However, some people rebel at this dish, so now I save it for Yuletide meals when I’m alone.”
One of the more popular Christmas Eve dishes is fish, especially for Catholic families, as Christmas Eve was still part of the Advent fast period. Clementine’s owner Tamara Keefe shares her story: “Every year, Frank’s family [Frank Uible, her fiancée] observes the Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian family tradition of making and serving seven courses consisting of some kind of fish. It’s very fancy, and we prep two weeks in advance. The table is set beautifully, and it’s coursed just so. It wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without it.”
From Turn chef/owner David Kirkland: “My son’s birthday is on Christmas Eve, so it’s all about what he wants to eat that day. We usually do lunch at his favorite spot. For awhile, it was Pi or Rooster—at least he has good taste. He’s 19 this year, so I have no idea where he’ll want to go.”
From Grace Meat + Three chef/co-owner Rick Lewis: “Early in the day, I go to the first restaurant I ever worked, Dulaney’s in South County, with my high-school buddies for cheeseburgers, beers, and Bloody Marys. We’ve been going there for the past 14 years. Later in the day, after church, we have light apps, cheese and charcuterie, at my mother’s.”
SLM dining critic and St. Louis Eats and Drinks blogger Ann Lemons Pollack, whose house was full of friends and family at Christmastime, had this to say: “You can’t not offer people something to eat on Christmas Eve. I certainly couldn’t, not when there were two kinds of pie around and dinner a good eight hours away. Fresh coffee was constantly being made, and the turkey originally planned for dinner contributed to sandwiches, which flew out of the kitchen next to potato salad. From year to year, the menu changed only slightly. A discount-store punch bowl served a strange, silly punch that my daughter recalled from years past; it was festive-looking and unsweet enough to be tolerated by adults. Occasionally, we substituted a ham for the turkey and dressing.”
From Pig & Pickle chef/co-owner Ryan Lewis: “When I was young, my father always got a free Honey Baked Ham from his work (Shell) as a gift each year. As I got older—and Shell stopped giving out hams—we often ended up at Red Lobster, because it was one of the few restaurants that were open and Mom had no desire to cook. Then we would come home and open presents while snacking on homemade Chex Mix and cookies. Nowadays, we typically eat at home—last year was ham; this year it’s lasagna. But we always end with a healthy helping of Chex Mix.”
From Mai Lee and Nudo House co-owner Qui Tran: “For the past five years, about 70 family members and friends come to my house, because I do two huge 20- to 22-pound rib roasts. Ever since I did the first one, people get mad if I don’t repeat it.”
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