Feast of the seven fishes

For the main course, there’d often be involtini, a small fillet of flounder or sole wrapped around spinach and then baked with lemon juice and butter. And there might be a Caesar salad where the anchovies in the dressing counted as one of the fishes.

Not every dish in the meal had to be homemade. “Sometimes as a starter, my grandmother would serve something as easy as smoked clams out of a can. The Buford Highway Farmers Market carries amazing Spanish seafood from Ramon Pena. It’s pristine and beautiful. Just spoon it out of the can onto a piece of melba toast,” says Allin. The market carries Ramon Pena mussels, mackerel, tuna fillets and an assortment of other seafood at prices ranging from $12 to $42 a package. A delicious splurge for the holidays.

For dessert? “My grandmother would make thousands and thousands of cookies, mostly Italian butter cookies with Amaretto and almonds. After that big meal, you didn’t want a big formal dessert. It would just be misery,” said Allin.

Now Allin, chef and owner of Decatur’s Cakes & Ale, is resurrecting the tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes with his sister and her family. “My children are almost 7 and 10 and we tend to do simple dinners with them right now. But we’re doing more of this, more of what we did growing up.”

Allin gave us a menu for four of the traditional dishes for a Feast of the Seven Fishes: Flounder Involtini, Linguine with Clams in Tomato Sauce, Fried Smelt and a salad with Meyer Lemon-Anchovy Vinaigrette, all variations on the dishes his family once served.

The recipes go together quickly and much can be prepared ahead of time. The involtini can be rolled a day ahead, then baked and served it at room temperature. The salad dressing should be made a day or two before the meal. The clams and linguine cook quickly, and the only dish requiring last minute work are the smelts which cook in just minutes.

“Thanksgiving can be such a stressful meal because you’re in the kitchen for nine hours. This is really a much more informal event. You can take it easy and work at your own pace. Do a little ahead of time, drink a little red wine and balance what’s easy to make with what takes a little time to prepare. It can be super simple,” said Allin.

For those who want a little more indulgence in a holiday meal, Cakes & Ale is serving a special holiday feast on the Sunday before Christmas. “This is a meal beyond imagination,” says Allin. “We match vintage wines with over-the-top food. Normally we don’t encourage excess, but this is the one time of the year we really blow it out.”

The meal of four courses with dessert and vintage wines is for fewer than 40 guests and reservations go quickly. Call the restaurant. 404-377-7994, to see if there’s still room at the table.

Topper: These recipe yields assume your dinner will be featuring several fish entrees. If only serving one of these recipes, each will serve 4.

Billy Allin’s Linguine with Clams in Tomato Sauce

Use the smallest clams you can find at the seafood shop.

1/4 cup salt

1 pound linguine

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons minced shallot

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

24 littleneck clams, scrubbed

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato puree

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped marjoram or oregano

Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, bring at least 24 cups of water to a boil. Add 1/4 cup salt. Wait to add linguine to boiling water until you have cooked the clams.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add shallot and garlic and saute until garlic just begins to brown. Add clams, white wine and chili flakes. Cover saucepan to steam clams. Check every minute or so and as clams open, remove them and set aside on a plate. Discard any that do not open.

Cook the linguine until al dente and then drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.

Add tomato puree to the saucepan with the shallots and cook for 5 minutes. Add parsley and marjoram to the pan and season to taste, remembering you will be adding in salted pasta water. Add drained linguine and toss to coat. Add pasta water to the pasta and herb mixture, tossing pasta in sauce until well coated. Add clams back to pan and heat through.

Serve the pasta on a large plate or in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serves: 8

— Adapted from a recipe by chef Billy Allin.

Per serving: 326 calories (percent of calories from fat, 23), 12 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 9 milligrams cholesterol, 500 milligrams sodium.

Billy Allin’s Fried Smelt with Lemon Aioli

Canola oil, for frying

1/2 pound small smelt (about 12 smelt)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup fine corn meal

Salt and pepper

Lemon Aioli (see recipe)

Shaved radish and lemon wedges, for garnish

In a fryer or in a deep pot, add oil, making sure the oil is not more than half way up the sides of the pot. Heat to 375 degrees.

While oil is heating, whisk together flour and cornmeal in a pie plate. Add a pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Season the smelt with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture and shake off excess. Place fish in fryer and fry until lightly browned and crisp. Do not crowd pot. Cook fish in batches if needed. Remove from fryer, and drain. Discard remaining flour mixture. Season fried smelt lightly with salt. Serve with Lemon Aioli, shaved radish and lemon wedges. Serves: 8

— Adapted from a recipe by chef Billy Allin.

Per serving, without Aioli: 207 calories (percent of calories from fat, 45), 23 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 10 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 89 milligrams cholesterol, 77 milligrams sodium.

Billy Allin’s Lemon Aioli

1/4 cup vegetable

1/4 cup olive oil

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon champagne vinegar

Salt

1/4 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped chives

Salt

Combine vegetable and olive oils and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, champagne vinegar and small pinch of salt. Slowly drizzle the oil mixture into the egg yolk mixture, constantly whisking to emulsify. When half of the oil is emulsified, add the water and continue to whisk. Slowly drizzle the rest of the oil into the mixture, whisking to combine. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. If too thick, add a splash of water. Stir in the parsley and chives. Refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made the day before. Makes: 3/4 cup

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 85 calories (percent of calories from fat, 98), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 18 milligrams cholesterol, 12 milligrams sodium.

Billy Allin’s Chicories with Meyer Lemon-Anchovy Vinaigrette

Local chicories are available as soon as the weather turns cool. Nicolas Donck of Crystal Organic Farm sells a wide variety of chicories at the Saturday morning Morningside Farmers Market.

8 ounces mixed bitter greens, such as radicchio, frisee and/or escarole

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup Meyer Lemon-Anchovy Vinaigrette (see recipe), more if needed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

To assemble the salad, season the greens with salt and pepper and toss with 1/4 cup of the dressing. The leaves should be well coated, so add a little more dressing if needed. Toss in half of the cheese. Plate the salad and garnish with the remaining cheese. Serves: 8

— Adapted from a recipe by chef Billy Allin.

Per serving: 70 calories (percent of calories from fat, 79), 2 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 79 milligrams sodium.

Billy Allin’s Meyer Lemon-Anchovy Vinaigrette

Two tips from the chef: first, because you’ll be using the entire Meyer lemon, it’s best to go organic here. Second, garlic has a little sprout in the center of each clove that is the start of a new garlic plant. This sprout is called the “germ.” When the garlic bulb is young and fresh, the germ is pale and tender. But as the bulb ages, the germ turns green and becomes bitter. If you’re using older garlic, remove the germ.

Depending on the power of your blender, the lemon may not puree complete. If there are still bits, strain the vinaigrette before storing.

1 organic Meyer lemon, rinsed well

2 small garlic cloves

1/2 shallot, sliced

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

3 small anchovy filets, soaked in water for 5 minutes and drained

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon prepared mayonnaise

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1 tablespoon water

Salt

Cut lemon into quarters and remove seeds. In the jar of a blender, combine the lemon, garlic, shallot and vinegar. Puree on high for 30 seconds. Add anchovies, mustard and mayonnaise and puree on medium speed until smooth. Turn the blender on low and slowly drizzle in oil. If the blender seems to struggle, add a splash of water and continue to drizzle in oil. Taste for seasoning. Store dressing in the refrigerator for up to one week. Makes: 2 cups

— Adapted from a recipe by chef Billy Allin.

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 92 calories (percent of calories from fat, 98), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 10 grams fat (1 gram saturated), trace cholesterol, 17 milligrams sodium.

Billy Allin’s Flounder and Spinach Involtini with Lemon, Capers and Garlic

You want small fillets for this dish. Allin suggests three 1-pound flounders should provide what you need. Buy fresh whole flounder at your local seafood shop and have the shop fillet the fish for you. Save the trimmings to make fish stock you can use in your next chowder recipe.

1/3 cup olive oil, divided

4 ounces small fresh leaf spinach

2 pounds flounder fillets

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon chopped shallot

1/4 cup white dry vermouth

Juice of 2 lemons

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

Pinch red chili flakes

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Crusty bread, for serving

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach and saute until just wilted. Remove to a sieve or colander to drain. Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut flounder fillets down the center, so you have on long fillet and one shorter fillet. Cut the longer fillets in half crosswise. You will end up with three pieces from each fillet that are roughly the same length. Check the fish for bones and remove. Lightly season the fillets with salt and pepper.

Lay fillets flat on work surface and divide spinach evenly between fillets. Roll the fillets like a pinwheel and secure with a toothpick. Lightly dredge pinwheels in flour, patting off excess. Discard remaining flour.

In a large oven-proof skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots to pan. Add pinwheels to pan, browning the fish on both sides. Do not crowd skillet. You may need to cook fish in batches. Remove pinwheels from pan, transferring to a paper towel-lined plate. Add vermouth to skillet and cook 2 minutes over medium heat, scraping brown bits from the bottom of skillet. Add lemon juice, butter, capers and chili flakes and heat until mixture foams. Return pinwheels to skillet and put skillet in oven for 3 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Place cooked fish on a warmed plate. Add parsley, pinch of salt and cracked pepper to pan. Spoon sauce over the fish and serve with crusty bread. Serves: 8

— Adapted from a recipe by chef Billy Allin.

Per serving: 270 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 24 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 12 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 59 milligrams cholesterol, 116 milligrams sodium.