Capitone

The story

Eel on the Christmas Eve table is a tradition that stretches from the north of Italy to the south, from Friuli and Venice through Comacchio in Emilia-Romagna to Puglia and Naples, though the way it is prepared varies a great deal. In Naples capitone is almost always fried, while elsewhere it is roasted, braised or stewed in a tomato sauce with onion, garlic and vinegar. The name "capitone" refers specifically to the large female eel, more prized and meatier than the smaller males, and its availability in December is tied to the eels' natural migration toward the sea to spawn. Buying a live eel at the market and keeping it wriggling in a bucket until just before cooking was long a common, somewhat dramatic pre-Christmas ritual for older generations. Although eel consumption has declined in recent years, many families in southern Italy still consider it an essential part of the Christmas Eve fish dinner.