Tilapia: the new culinary star of the festive season!

Are you bored of the same old Christmas recipes?

We get it. Sometimes, the idea of preparing a whole festive roast with all the trimmings can be a little overwhelming, and there’s only so much stuffing and sausages a person can eat.

So, why not try something a little different this year?

Whether you want to mix up your Boxing Day dinner or treat your family to something a little more adventurous during the post-Christmas, pre-New Year void, we’ve got some fish-tastic festive ideas that are sure to make a splash on your tastebuds…

A ghost of Christmas past

People worldwide have been enjoying festive feasts during the midwinter season and the runup to Christmas for hundreds of years. But it wasn’t always all about the turkey…

We’ve only been tucking into turkey since around the 16th century when we Brits started making this fine bird a staple of Christmas tradition. Before then, holiday menus featured a range of fruits, berries, cheeses, and other meats — including a variety of fish!

Since the Middle Ages, everyone from peasants and monks to kings and queens has chosen seafood as an extra-special treat during seasonal celebrations. Historically, this trend largely stemmed from fish being deemed acceptable to eat during religious meat fasts, increasing the popularity of cooking with common freshwater species like carp, trout and eel.

Our friends across the pond are no strangers to eating fish over the holidays, either. You may have heard of the ‘Feast of Seven Fishes’ — an Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition tracing back to the Roman Catholic custom of abstaining from meat the night before the big day.

This practice, also known as ‘La Vigilia’, became common in the States in the late 19th century when southern Italians began immigrating to the US. Today, many American families still serve seafood dishes on 24 December, connecting with their European roots through a tempting selection of appetisers, sides and main courses.

And they’re not alone. Fish remains a staple of Christmas eating across the globe — especially in European countries like Poland, Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic. From smoked salmon breakfasts and pickled herring snacks to salted cod ‘bakalar’, there are many customary ways to enjoy seafood at this time of year.

So, now’s the perfect time to dip a toe into the festive fish pool and make seafood the star of your Christmas menu…

A tasty twist on a traditional feast

Could fish become a staple of the Christmas dinner once again?

Perhaps you’re a pescatarian trying to mix it up from salads and nut roasts, or you’re looking for a more sustainable alternative to land-farmed meat this holiday.

Whatever your preference, we think it’s about time more people explored what our rivers, lakes and oceans have to offer at the most wonderful time of the year.

Here are a handful of fish-centric recipes that would make a delicious addition to any festive feast…

Perfect pies

Pie is a comfort food for many Brits during the winter months, and using a creamy and indulgent fish mixture is a great way to switch up your typical meaty fillings.

There are loads of versatile, hearty recipes out there, allowing you to choose your favourite fish (or multiple types of fish) to build your pie around.

If you really want to impress with your dish, you could even take some creative inspiration from cooks in late medieval England who’d make their pies in the shape of the fish they contained!

Warming wellingtons

Keen to flex your culinary muscles this Christmas? Challenge yourself to make a fish wellington.

This light twist on a traditional dish is not as tricky to prepare as you might think — especially compared to a beef wellington, which can be notoriously tricky to master.

Take a fresh fillet of your choice, some pastry and appropriate fillings (think tomatoes, herby cream cheese or even some prosciutto if you eat meat) to create a deceptively simple dish guaranteed to wow your guests.

Steaming stews

Fish stews are popular all over the world — especially the well-loved Basque variety. This Spanish-influenced dish is packed with flavour, bulked out by root vegetables and punctuated by notes of hot and sweet paprika, garlic and herbs.

You can throw a range of seafood ingredients into a sumptuous fish stew — from shrimps and octopus to white fish like cod, seabass or, of course, tilapia…

Regal Springs’ responsibly farmed tilapia is incredibly quick and easy to prepare — the ideal candidate for mixing up your meal options when you’re tired of complicated cooking and conventional Christmas leftovers.

Tilapia’s mild, firm, flaky white flesh is suitable for pies, sides and stews alike, making it a perfect seafood substitution for many meat-heavy Christmas recipes.

Alternatively, you could simply fry, bake or poach a tilapia fillet for a convenient weeknight meal over the festive period. You can even add a seasonal twist by pairing your fish with a cranberry and honey-mustard sauce, which you can whip up in no time.

No matter the season or occasion, there are plenty of ways to incorporate our succulent, lake-grown tilapia into a balanced diet. So, why not try it for yourself today?

Looking for inspiration for your festive seafood feast? Regal Springs tilapia is the fish for every dish! Check out our selection of recipes and tag us in pictures of your delicious creations on social media.