Delight guests with this Christmas Eve feast!

1. In a large pot, place the wine, peppercorns, garlic cloves, bay leaves, lemon juice, and 3 quarts of water. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat so that the liquid is at a simmer. Add the octopus and simmer for 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat and let the octopus cool in the liquid; this can be done two days in advance. Remove the octopus from the liquid, cover, and refrigerate.

2. Bring the liquid to a simmer again, add the shrimp and calamari and cook for 3 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink. Let them cool in the liquid, remove them, cover, and refrigerate.

3. Using the same water, parboil the carrots, onions, and celery for 1 minute. Drain and cool the vegetables.

4. Remove the soft purple skin and suckers from the octopus. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, chopped garlic, and parsley. Marinate the octopus in the parsley mixture for 1 hour.

5. Preheat the grill. Add the octopus and grill for 10 minutes, or until tender. Cut the octopus into 1/4-inch pieces.

6. In a large bowl, combine the seafood, vegetables, orange segments, and orange juice and marinate for at least 12 hours before serving. Add salt, freshly ground black pepper, and olive oil to taste.

Note: This dish requires only 7 to 8 minutes to cook; do not start until you’re ready to serve.

1. Wash and scrub the shells of the clams and mussels with a vegetable brush. Remove the beards from the mussels and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the dish. Discard any clams that are open, that do not close, or that do not smell fresh.
2. In a 14-inch stainless steel sauté pan with lid, heat the oil over high heat until it is lightly smoking. Lower the heat to medium low and add the garlic, shallots, saffron, and thyme. Sweat the vegetables, but do not brown them, about 2 minutes. Add the mussels and clams to the sauté pan and toss the mixture with a spoon. Deglaze with the wine and let it cook for 1 minute, then add the clam juice and cover with the lid. Do not reduce the heat. Allow the mussels and clams to cook for 3 minutes, or until they open.
3. Add the basil, arugula, and cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and cook 1 minute, or until heated through. Serve warm.

Note: A great accompaniment to this dish is crusty ciabatta bread rubbed with garlic, brushed with olive oil, and grilled. It is great for mopping up the wonderful broth from the clams and mussels.

1. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil until golden brown.
2. Add the lobster stock, tomato sauce, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.
3. Add the lobster, shrimp, basil, and parsley and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until very al dente and strain.
5. Add the lobster and shrimp sauce to pasta and stir. Add the butter and stir to melt. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve hot.

To Make the Lobster Stock
1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, sauté the garlic and lobster shells in the olive oil for two minutes. Add the vegetables, thyme, and tomato paste and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add the wine, reduce by half, and add 8 cups water.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower to medium heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and cool the liquid; you will have about 4 cups of stock. Set the stock aside.

For the Barley Risotto
1. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté onion until light brown. Add barley and lightly toast, about 3 minutes.
2. Add 3 cups chicken broth and simmer barley until al dente over low heat, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. If barley seems too hard and not cooked, add 1/4 cup more of stock until done al dente.
3. Once barley is done, spread on cookie sheet or sheet pan, to cool down. This can be done ahead of time, even the day before.
4. To finish barley risotto: Place barley in heavy bottom saucepan or sauté pan, add 1/2 cup chicken broth, and heat at low temperature. Once barley is hot, start cooking the branzino (see recipe below), barley is only a few minutes away from being done.
5. Add heavy cream to barley and slowly cook out, starch will come out of barley and thicken with cream.
6. To finish, add precooked butternut squash and wild mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Place risotto on platter or dinner plate. Remove branzino from pan and place on top.

For the Branzino (European Sea Bass)
1. Over medium high heat in non-stick sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
2. Cook branzino, skin side down, about 2 minutes on each side.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
2. Spread the panettone cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until dried out.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cream, milk, egg yolks, 1 cup of the sugar, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk gently until the sugar dissolves. Add the panettone to the bowl and set aside to soak for 30 minutes.
4. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
5. Rub the butter over the bottom and sides of a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish about 8 x 12 x 2 1/2-inches deep. Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar over the butter.
6. Stir the chocolate into the panettone mixture and then pour the mixture into the baking dish. Set the dish in a larger pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and firm and the custard is set. Remove the dish from the water bath and set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with whipped cream.

1. Place the flour on a work surface or in a bowl. Make a well in the center and place the sugar, salt, butter and eggs in the well. Gradually draw in the flour to make a soft dough.
2. Knead the dough briefly on a well-floured surface by folding it over on itself several times, using a spatula if the dough is sticky. Flour the dough lightly and wrap in plastic. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for about 1 hour.
3. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Flour the surface and the dough lightly and roll it out as thin as possible, dusting with flour and moving the dough often so that it does not stick to the surface or the rolling pin.
4. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 x 3-inch rectangles with a pastry wheel. Slash the center of each rectangle parallel to the long ends and pass one of the short ends through it to form a knot.
5. Heat the oil to 350 degrees and fry the fritters few at a time until they are a deep gold. Remove the fritters from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain them on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.
6. Cool the fritters, dust with the confectioner’s sugar, grated orange peel, and arrange on a platter.