For recipe see Italy Revisited/ Recipes/ "Italian Fish and Sea Food Dishes"

In a number of regions in Southern Italy salt cod is fried in batter for the traditional meatless Christmas Eve feast. In some towns the batter is so thick it's almost like a pizza dough (the fish is worked into the dough). In other towns the batter is smooth and velvety. Near Rome, where my mother's neighbor, Concetta, comes from, the batter is very thick. Nowadays most North Americans who come from this region offer more than cod on Christmas Eve. Shrimp seems to be a necessity for most households. Photo: Mary Melfi.

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