Christmas Fish to serve a crowd
We are hosting Christmas Eve this year, 17 guests. We always have fish, but my mom always makes fried flounder. Poppy has been having heart trouble and we have several Diabetics so I want to do something healtier. I was thinking of a large roast salmon. Does anyone have a tasty, healthy fish recipe that can feed a crowd. Nothing fried please.
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15 Comments:
A large roast salmon stuffed with lemons and herbs would be easy. You could also try a salt crusted baked salmon. Another alternative would be a fish stew of some kind served with some crusty bread. Here are a few fish stews that I like--double or triple the recipe as needed.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shellfish-Stew-Proven-ale-11300
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Italian-Fish-Soup-109020
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brazilian-Fish-Stew-238413
dhorst at 6:11PM on 12/01/08
Christmas Eve is generally served in courses so you can do the seafood stew above and also serve a nice roast salmon.
The Provencale shellfish stew above will serve all your needs - you just need to make a VAT of it.
You might also grab a couple of bags of Costco boiled shrimp and make a nice cocktail sauce for them. This will take the edge off guests' appetites while dinner is in the making.
Have you hosted a Christmas Eve gathering of this proportion before?
therealchiffonade at 6:55PM on 12/01/08
Tilapia with lime or lemon juice
pjracz10 at 3:02AM on 12/02/08
You could do a poached salmon or side of salmon. It would work well for a crowd because it can be served hot, cold or room temperature. I've heard of people successfully cooking it in the dishwasher wrapped in foil. You could go old school kitsch and make "scales" from lemon slices or cucumber slices.
Don't forget the sauce in a gravy boat!!
ag3208 at 3:22AM on 12/02/08
I like the cold boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce idea. You can also put out smoked salmon and some pumpernickle bread.
Amandarama at 7:26AM on 12/02/08
Why not do this seafood Paella it's got 7 fishes so if you're italian it fits
Ingredients
800 grams of long grain, Valencia rice (100g per person)
2 handfuls of little neck clams
1 lb. Sea Scallops
2 lbs. firm white fish cut up in small pieces
4 lobster tails cut into small pieces.
2 handfuls of mussels
8 whole squid (each about the 4"-5" long
2 handfuls of large, uncooked, cleaned shrimp
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
2 lemons cut in wedges
1 T saffron
Directions
Bring a large stock pot with 3-4 liters of salted water to a boil.
Add the clams and mussels, and boil for 5 minutes.
Cut the squid into rings with a sharp knife or scissors, and add to the stock pot.
Also add the shrimp at the same time as the squid.
Allow to simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the mussels and clams have opened. Strain into a bowl and set aside, reserving the stock in the original pot.
Add the saffron to the stock and stir until it changes color to a bold yellow.
Dice peppers and onion and sautee in a paella pan (or large fry pan if you don't have one) with some olive oil. Season with salt.
Once sauteed, bring the flame up to medium-high and ladle in the stock, spoonful by spoonful until it reaches 1/2 way up the side of the paella pan.
Like "feeding chickens" (as a Spaniard told me once), add the rice. That is to say, little by little, handful by handful.
The rice should be just barely covered with water.
Add the cooked seafood, reserving 6 clams or mussels for the end (presentation).
Bring the flame to a medium-low and watch carefully! The rice should never look dry,but never be swimming either. It is not necessary to stir. Depending on the rice you use, you might need 2 liters of stock, or more.
Continue to watch until the rice is cooked (20 minutes) but not mushy. The best way to do this is to taste the rice in different parts of the pan (the edges and the bottom cook faster than the top, and the center). Add fish, scallops, and partially cooked lobster tails to the top and cook til done.
Once the rice is cook and has absorbed the water, place the reserved clams/mussels in a circular pattern on the top of the dish, alternating with lemon wedges.
Pavlov at 9:02AM on 12/02/08
AH CRAP!... guess I missed the whole healthy thing..... guess that will teach me for premature posting..... or PP for those in the know!
You may want to skip this one if you're looking for healthy.....
Pavlov at 9:04AM on 12/02/08
@ Pavlov - what's not healthy about seafood, rice & vegetables? Sounds wonderful to me. Could be a real show-stopper for presentation, too.
SSMom at 9:10AM on 12/02/08
I make what I call "Greek" fish, which is basically any type of white, flaky fish (Tilapia or Cod, esp.) put in a baking dish and cover with sliced plum tomatoes, sliced purple onions, pitted Kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Then I drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. Then I bake just long enough to cook the fish. The veggies will still have some bite to them and be fresh tasting. When I put the serving of fish on the plates I squeeze lemon juice over the top for that burst of citrus. It's light, inexpensive, very healthy.
juliebugsmama at 9:31AM on 12/02/08
@Pavlov, that is very healthy, and along the lines of what I was thinking. Sounds yummy.
dhorst at 9:36AM on 12/02/08
Well I was thinking about the fat but as long as you use olive oil... and don't use Linguica or any other sausage for a flavoring.....
Pavlov at 9:47AM on 12/02/08
@Pavlov - Let me add my voice to the choir - there's nothing unhealthy about your dish unless one guest eats the whole yield.
Every Christmas Eve I serve some incarnation of the following. You might include one or more of these dishes - especially the ones you can make ahead.
Scungilli Salad
Calamari Salad
Boiled Shrimp/Cocktail Sauce
Make Believe Krabmeat (it's a guilty indulgence)/Cocktail Sauce
Stone Crab Claws or King Crab Legs/Cocktail Sauce
Linguini with Clam Sauce
Pasta Puttanesca
Baked Clams Oreganato
Black Mussels Baked with Tomato and Bread Crumbs
Green Mussels with Tomato, Garlic and Olive Oil
Broiled Scallops
Yin/Yang Shrimp baked in the oven with Tomato, Garlic, Olive oil and Bread Crumbs
Whole Lobster Stuffed with Crabmeat (the real stuff...LOL)
The largest gathering for which I have ever prepared Christmas Eve was 2007 - 14 people. My brother was my assistant as he does not get under my feet in the kitchen. At least one trusted assistant is a must.
As you can see, I'm not a big fan of finfish but a roast salmon and a rice dish might be a good anchor for your fish feast.
therealchiffonade at 9:53AM on 12/02/08
Wow, Thank you for all of the recommendation. I am thinking of the fish stew and roast salmon. For us, the fish is only a small part of the dinner. There will also be a turkey, a ham, lasagna, ziti, a slew of appetizers and desserts. Each of my mom's sisters will bring an entree so its not all on me. I know they tend to bring heavier foods, that is why I was in search of a lighter dish. You are the best and I will definitely be trying many of the suggestions, not all on Christmas Eve!
KtMc24 at 11:02AM on 12/02/08
Hey, I'm stunned! Nobody's mentioned baccala!!!
Robbo at 10:11PM on 12/05/08
O Please, therealchiffonade, the recipe for Yin/Yang Shrimp! I too do a seafood Christmas Eve, and it has morphed over the years to lobster, shrimp, scallops and then a meat for those who do not eat seafood. I have been looking for a really good but easy shrimp dish that those who do not eat the lobster will still feel is 'special' but I need it to be perhaps baked..as in pre-prepped and ready to go in the oven...no last-minute standing at the stove top if I can help it...steaming all those lobsters is all the last-minute stove-hanging I want to do.
keliann at 10:32AM on 12/12/08