cappon magro

The name may sound like it means 'lean capon' but in fact cappon magro (or capon magro) is an elaborate, labour-intensive salad, made for the lean, meat-free days of the Church (for people who didn’t really want to deprive themselves of a feast).

It’s made of layers of cold salted rock fish, octopus, shell fish, gallettes rubbed in garlic, hard-boiled eggs and vegetables (carrots, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, artichokes and a beet), topped with an elaborate version of salsa verde and crowned with more shellfish, mussels etc—and often a whole lobster.

And to think it was devised as a way to use up leftovers! Today it’s often served on Christmas Eve.