Fish Aspic

This is a dish that my Mom always had on the table for Christmas Eve.   

Fish was delivered before Christmas to our village by a fisherman in the area.  I remember people picking out whole frozen fish from the back of his truck, ie Jack Fish, Pickerel and White Fish.   

White Fish

The fish was cleaned and cut into pieces.  The whole fish was used for the broth including the head.  The stock pot was filled with water and to this was added chopped celery, onion, chopped parsley, a bay leaf, salt and peppercorns.  Although, Jack Fish has lots of bones, it was the best for the broth to gel.   Once the fish was cooked, the fish was taken out, the bones and skin were removed and the cooked fish was placed in a dish or mold  The broth was then strained through muslin to assure a very clear broth.  Adjust the seasonings before pouring into the mold.

My Mom liked to add julienne carrots and celery to the mold.  The fish is chilled, then flipped over on to a bed of lettuce, decorated with lemon slices. Truly a beautiful dish!

The recipe I share is my memory of my Mom making this dish for Christmas Eve. 

A mixture of vegetables were chopped up and added first to the stock pot

• Carrot
• parsley chopped
• chopped onion
• bay leave
• peppercorn

After preparing this dish this year,  I realized that my Mom used carrots only a garnish.  As I have found out in making turkey gravy, carrots add sweetness that I do not like.  Also the carrots take away from the clarity of the broth. Something that my Mom was most particular about!  

 

Wash you fish well inside and outside with cold water.  Remove the fish scales with a serrated knife.  Make sure that you check carefully to remove all the scales.  Give another wash to remove any scales.

Cut into smaller pieces for the pot.  I was surprised how tough the fish was.

Place the Fish pieces on the vegetables

Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Skim the foam.  Reduce to simmer as soon as it comes to boil and simmer until fish fork tender. 

Carefully lift the pieces of fish from the broth.  Remove the the bones and  place in a mould. Strain the broth through a cheesecloth so that it is clear.  Taste for seasoning.   There should be enough gelatine from  the fish bones but; 

1-2 packages of plain gelatine* can be soaked in 1/3c cold water.  

Mix gelatine with hot broth

Pour over fish and chill. 

*gelatine is collagen in the skin, bones, and connective tissue of an animal which breaks down into gelatine.  For the purists at heart, skip this step but if you use fish pieces, it will not jell!  On the plus side, it does make a delicious fish soup aka bouillabaisse.

I did make two dishes and did freeze both for Christmas Eve.  

Cabbage Rolls, Rice Holubtsi for Christmas Eve

Another dish that is prepared for Christmas Eve is Cabbage rolls or Holubtsi.  The recipe that I prepare is how my Mom prepared them for this meatless supper.  My grandmother would not have used butter as her meal was dairy less and meatless.  Some still follow this tradition of what would now be considered a vegan diet.  

Cut out the core of the cabbage so that it steams and is easier to pull of the leaves without the leaves tearing.  You can also freeze the whole cabbage and when unthawed the leaves are also pliable and easy to remove, but this means having the cabbage thawed before you make the cabbage rolls.  I prefer to steam the leaves.

Place the head of cabbage into a pot to steam with the core down.

Use two forks to carefully remove the pliable leaves. Being careful not to burn yourself!

The stack of leaves ready to be rolled. 

The steamed leaves are cooling before being rolled.  Yes, the house has a pungent aroma! 

  

Cut out the hard spine of the leave or cut down the spine so that you can still roll the leave.. The larger leaves you can cut out four pieces to roll.  The leaves become smaller as you come to the end.  I make small rolls without tucking in the ends.

Place a tablespoon of cooked rice in the leaf and roll!  Place the seam down into a prepared pan. The enamel roaster that are used for larger group, are usually layered with the outer covering leaves of the cabbage.  My aunt uses tinfoil to cover her enamel roaster. Yes, she still does roasters of  cabbage rolls at the age of ninety five. 

The sauce for the casserole is a can of good quality tomato soup, pour over the rolls and grate frozen butter on top, wrap in tin foil and freeze until ready to bake at 350 for one hour or until the cabbage leaves are cooked.

Deep Fryer

One of my weddings gifts finally hit the dust!  It seems amazing that I remember who gave me this gift!  Aunt Mary, my Mom's oldest sister gave me a Deep Fryer and I remember wondering what I would do with this as I didn't deep fry anything!  

Yet, over the years, I have used this time and time again and thought of my Aunt when using it.

For many years, I used it for Hot Pot!  This worked perfectly to keep the simmering broth hot in the middle of the table as we sat around it and cooked slices of meat, seafood, vegetables and noodles! 

Then when I started to prepare the traditional Christmas Eve supper, I found the recipe for Pampushky with poppy seed and prune fillings.  The deep frying was left to my hubby to do as I dreaded hot boiling oil!  For a long time, I used the wok to do this as it certainly uses less oil than other pots. 

Over the last couple of years, I have used this fryer for deep frying the delicious doughnuts or Tim Bits! 

This Christmas we hosted a Syrian family who loved helping and wanted to do the prune stuffed doughnuts.  Everyone took part! 

 Unfortunately as my husband was frying the doughnuts they took longer to do even though the temperature was set at 400 degrees.  Yesterday, I check the temperature of this fryer using a candy thermometer.  Sadly I will have to retire this work horse and not without thoughts of my Aunt!  Thank you a wonderful wedding gift and many great memories!

Plum Pyrohy

Plums were used as a filling to use up the left over dough, 2 dozen of Plum Pyrohy were made for Christmas Eve.  The tester with a drizzle of maple syrup sour cream and whipped cream was delicious.

My father used to love High Bush Cranberry pyrohy for Christmas Eve 

The sliced plums were first soften in the microwave.  The testers were boiled until they floated in the water.

Now to wait to see how my family likes this variation. I have made prune ones which are lovely too.  

Cabbage Pyrohy for Christmas Eve

Another traditional dish made for Christmas Eve dinner is Sauerkraut pyrohy.  These pyrohy have always been my favorite and especially delicious reheated. 

Using the same recipe dough that I did for the cottage cheese I made 4 dozen of these dumplings.  My Mom always made the shape of these dumpling by pinching the ends together to get a circle shape. The shape is much like the Italian Tortellini shape. 

The sauerkraut is drained and washed. A step my Mom always did as she felt the store bought Sauerkraut was too bitter and salty. 

Drain and squeeze out as much moisture as you can as easier to make the dumplings if the filling is dry.

Soften finely chopped onion in a drizzle of Olive oil and then add the sauerkraut to sauté.

Yes, a lot of pinching that needs to be rechecked before freezing as the dough does relax and the seams need to be checked and resealed tor the dumplings will open when boiling to cook.  Trust me after all this work the last thing you want to see is the filling floating as you cook the dumplings!

These are frozen on a cookie sheet pan.  Cover the pan with saran wrap and each layer.   My Aunt Marion laughing commented that life is so much better with Saran wrap.   Sprinkle a dusting of flour on the base and on each layer of dumplings.  Another time that a shaker with flour is most handy.  When the dumplings are frozen, repack into ziplock bags. 

Vushky, Mushroom Dumplings

Vushky, "Little Ears"

These tiny dumplings are part of traditional Christmas Eve dishes and served in Lenten Borscht.  Vushky translates to "little ears' because of the dumplings final shape.   As a child, I remember being fascinated by these tiny white dumplings floated in a clear Borscht broth on Christmas Eve at my Grandmother's place.

Sauté mushroom and finely chopped mushrooms in drizzle of Olive Oil.  Wild Mushroom powder was added to mushrooms. 

Chop the cooked mushroom filling

Again, I used the same dough recipe I did for the Cottage cheese pyrohy the recipe for this dough is my Mom's recipe for Pyrohy.

I did do two different shape styles and will have to wait to see which one floats better in the broth. One style is to pinch the ends so you get a circle shape, like the Italian tortellini. For the other shape pinch the ends together over top of the dumpling.

Using a smaller cutter size or glass, I got 4 dozen of these tiny dumplings.

2015 Ukrainian Christmas Eve wrap up across Canada

As the winds howl and the temperature drops, Jan 6th is looked forward by many as a special day wrapped in tradition, family gatherings, spiritual and religious beliefs.

Traditions and spirituality are at the heart of Ukrainian Christmas and there is less of an emphasis on gift-giving than in a traditional North American Christmas celebration.

Preparation begins early for this feast, my Mom started this preparation a week before, where as I usually start much earlier by making and freezing Pyrohy and Holopchi's

For the last four years, we have been spending this time in Northern Manitoba and celebrate with my 92 year old aunt and her family.  The 12  traditional dishes were prepared for around twenty people by my aunt with the help of her sister and daughter in law for a couple of weeks before the celebration.

This year, with the holiday being in the middle of the week, we spent Ukrainian Christmas at home

My Brother who normally also attends the celebration at our Aunt's spent Ukrainian Christmas in Winnipeg at friends.

Kolach

Kolach

A small bale of hay was placed under the table to symbolize the manger.

Looking across Canada, here are some of the links I found about this celebration in other provinces

From Edmonton, 

Olesia Luciw-Andryjowycz, with the help of her sister-in-law Irene Miskiw, Luciw-Andryjowycz spent most of Tuesday preparing an elaborate vegetarian feast for Christmas Eve featuring kutya — cooked wheat with honey and poppy seeds — sauerkraut, cabbage rolls, pickled herring and other traditional dishes, brought out one by one. 

 Thirty two family members were welcomed into her home in North Edmonton, the smells of simmering red borscht and sounds of Ukrainian Christmas carols filled the room. 

Only when the first star was spotted in the sky did the family sit down and eat.

Two tables adorned with embroidered tablecloths, and garlic at each corner to ward off evil, were set side by side in the home to accommodate the large crowd and 12 traditional foods. 

Nearby the family is a sheaf of wheat, a reminder of the farmlands where the Ukrainian family came from.

Luciw-Andryjowycz’s parents were just one of the many families that move to Alberta from Ukraine in the late 1940s and 1950s. 

When the first star appears and the family sits down to eat, they share blessed leavened bread, wishing each other good health, prosperity and happiness. But for most, the turmoil in their homeland isn’t far from their minds. “We will say quite a few prayers for Ukraine this year,” Luciw-Andryjowycz said.

In Calgary

In Saskatoon, – A celebration rich with tradition is underway in homes throughout Saskatchewan.  Families gathered  to celebrate Ukranian Christmas Eve, according to the Julian calendar.

Pat Hawryliw’s grandparents moved from Ukraine to Saskatchewan 115 years ago.  Three generations later, the traditions of their homeland remain deeply rooted.  “It’s just a thing, engrained in you that you feel that you have to do,” said Hawryliw, seated at the kitchen table where a candle burns at the center of three loaves of bread, representing the Holy Trinity.

Christmas Eve afternoon, the head of the family will place a sheaf of wheat in a corner of the residence.  Traditionally it is placed under the table to symbolize the manger.  When the first star is spotted, a feast begins with a wheat grain pudding.

“That dish is called kutia and every meal starts with it and it is a symbol of Jesus and the last supper.”

Hawryliw has spent three days preparing food for Christmas Eve.  In total, 12 meatless dishes will be served signifying the end of fasting during 40 days of advent.  Borsht, cabbage rolls (holubtsi) and perogies (varenyky) are part of the meal along with several other dishes made from harvest grains, garden vegetables, and orchard fruits.

Focus on family and religion keeps the traditions strong, “We don’t have the commercialism involved in it as much.  It’s more of a spiritual thing. Gifts are not given out,” Hawryliw said.

In Regina

For Barb Dedi, the days of work that goes into preparing 30 dishes for a Ukrainian Christmas Eve feast is all worthwhile when she can share those traditions with people from around the world.

“We started back in the 70s first just with the family, but then about 20 years ago we started to open up our home to invite many different cultures including Chinese, Mexican, Sudanese, Caribbean, First Nations, Metis, Polish, German and Turkish, so they can experience Ukrainian Christmas,” she said.

Dedi prepares a total of 30 meatless dishes including 12 traditional dishes starting with kutia made of wheat and honey, plus borscht, nachinka (corn meal), stewed fruit, multiple kinds of cabbage rolls, garlic beans, sauerkraut, fish and pickled fish to name just a few.

 

Although Dedi didn’t grow up with traditional Ukrainian food as "My dad and his ancestors when they first came to Canada didn’t like being Ukrainian because there was a lot of discrimination against Ukrainian people.” 

 She was determined to learn all she could about the Ukrainian culture and other cultures from around the world. Her kids grew up immersed in Ukrainian cultural traditions including dance and language classes.

This year, Dedi’s daughter is also sharing with different cultures by making Ukrainian Christmas feast in Guatemala, just like she did when she spent four years in Kuwait.

This Christmas will be particularly significant for their family as they mark the passing of her ex-husband with a small table set in his honor as part of the tradition to set an extra place for those who have passed on. 

“The hay by the window is for good luck and it’s also to represent the animals – the animals on the farm would always get part of the meal,” she explained.  “Also we put a candle in the window to welcome the homeless.  At the front door when you come in there is salt to keep illnesses away and also garlic.”

Traditional bread called kolach sits on every table, but it cannot be eaten on Christmas Eve because it a symbol of Christ.

Some of the other traditions like throwing the wheat mixture on the ceiling and leaving all the leftovers out all night have lapsed a bit because they aren’t very practical, but Dedi does leave some dishes out all night.  But they do maintain the tradition of making sure every guest tastes every single dish – even those that aren’t too popular.

In Montreal CTV and CTV National also covers

Ukrainian Christmas Eve. 

At 81 years old, Jenny Mysak still host the traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner for her family every year.

"I think it's a very nice tradition. My mother brought me up, and I try to maintain it for my daughters and my granddaughters and the family. It's a lot of work, but it's a beautiful tradition."

It takes Mysak two weeks to prepare enough pierogis and cabbage rolls, which are big favourites.

She gets help from her son-in-law, Greg Bedik, to handle the fish, as meat is not allowed at a nativity supper.

He prepares it by breading the fish in an egg yolk and milk batter, but "I don't fry it, we just bake it and it's one of the 12 traditional dishes that we make for the evening."

Mysak's family begins their meal with a prayer and then an entree of borscht soup.

Her granddaughter, Natalia Bedik, says she loves spending time with her family and finds

"Ukrainian Christmas is all about the traditions"

The most heartwarming story for me was from Vancouver.  Chinese seniors usually don’t eat a lot of perogies. But they got their chance on Tuesday at the Vancouver Second Mile Society, which served up a special Ukrainian Christmas lunch. “(The) food is good,” said Harry Lee, 78.

“I like this (cabbage roll), and this (kielbasa). Excellent. Thank very much whoever thought of this, thank them very much. Okay?”

The lunch was conceived by volunteer coordinator Judy Chartrand, who was looking to do something different at the Downtown Eastside seniors centre.

There are several turkey dinners in Vancouver’s poorest neighbourhood at Christmas. But Ukrainian Christmas is celebrated according to the old Julian calendar, which means Christmas Day is Jan. 7, not Dec. 25.

So she decided to throw this year’s Christmas dinner a couple of weeks later, when people might really need it. And to serve Ukrainian food, not turkey.

“Everybody’s kind of turkeyed out,” she reasons.

“So (serving) all the Ukrainian foods — the cabbage rolls, perogies, sausages and stuff — we thought would be a good thing.”

Ukrainians traditionally have a big meal on Christmas Eve, so at about 11:30 a.m. Chartrand and several volunteers started serving approximately 100 seniors. 

The food went down well with a table full of elderly Chinese ladies, who quickly devoured the meals served in Styrofoam containers.  But trying to interview them proved fruitless — they spoke little to no English.

James Pau explained there are typical of many Chinese seniors in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside.

“Some think (all) Chinese people are rich,” said Pau, a volunteer for  four decades.

“Actually no, many are poor. Especially this group — they have very little or no education at all. They’re from Mainland China mostly, from the southern part.

“Now the Chinese (immigrants) come from the north, where they speak Mandarin, but this group is mainly from the south, where they speak Cantonese.”

In any event, Pau said it was easy to see why the ladies enjoyed the Ukrainian food.

“It’s similar to Chinese cooking,” he said. “Perogies are similar to Chinese dumplings.”

The Ukrainian Christmas festivities will wrap on Jan. 19, with the Feast of the Epiphany.