Il Cenone della Vigilia (Christmas Eve dinner)
· by Carolina
Il Cenone della Vigilia (Christmas Eve Cenone!)
You know, the night of December 24th is pure magic for us Italians: Baby Jesus appears in the manger of our presepio (nativity scene)...
...we go to Mass with joyful hearts, and when we return... it's time to open the presents under the tree!
But Italians being Italian, we love our food and the true highlight? The legendary Cenone della Vigilia—a proper "big dinner" on Christmas Eve.
It's called "di magro," meaning lean—no red meat, following old Catholic tradition. The antipasti (starters) are a delight with seafood included: fresh Insalata Russa (Russian salads, homemade mayo with vegetables), la tonnata (homemade mayo with capers and tuna, a sort of pate), il capitone (eel), crispy fritters, and more...
The primi? Tortellini or agnolotti, stuffed in a "lean" way—with ricotta and spinach, fish, or vegetables—served in fragrant broth...
And the secondo? More fish or a bird, often baked or stewed. Sometimes, it could be an unusual type of bird which we eat only for this specific dinner, for example il cappone ripieno (stuffed capon) or la gallina in brodo (hen in its broth) or la faraona (guinea fowl).
Don't let the word "lean" (magro) fool you: it's still a grand feast, full of rich flavors, prepared with love over hours in the kitchen, with courses lingering late into the night… and I am not telling you anything about the beautiful bottles of wine that accompany the beautiful dishes… and each food has usually its accompanying bottle of wine, depending if they are meat based or fish based and of course at the end our dinner we have our deserts: Pandoro or Panettone which go down well with Prosecco!
A beautiful tradition of abundance and family warmth. When you decide that it's time to read it in Italian, join our Beginners Class https://www.italiancork.com/upcoming-classes/