Gambero Rosso's global Feast of the Seven Fishes

Scorfano in guazzetto from Mancini, Stockholm, Sweden

Skrei is a type of wild Norwegian cod, caught exclusively during the winter months, when it makes its ancient migration from the frigid Arctic waters to the coasts of Norway, a journey which helps to firm up its flesh, making it some of the best cod in the world. Mancini combines a pan-fried fillet of this premium fish with Mediterranean ingredients (extra virgin olive oil, salted capers from Pantelleria, Taggiasca olives and Piennolo tomatoes from Mount Vesuvius) to create what it dubs "a harmonious encounter between the North Sea and Italian cuisine".

Fish maw alla carbonara from Da Vittorio, Shanghai, China

Maw, or swim bladder, is a celebrated ingredient in parts of China – and this recipe combines it with a little taste of Rome. The fish maw is soaked for five days, boiled, cut into thin strips, and cooked again in 'Parmesan water'. This is then combined with an emulsion of cooked egg yolk, guanciale oil and Marsala, bacon and garlic-infused cream (yes, cream), and white beans. A final flourish of shaved white truffle is optional, but delicious.

Pistachio-crusted tuna on caponata from Acquarello, Munich, Germany

A lightly-seared tuna fillet, coated in finely-chopped pistachios, is served on top of a warm, sweet-and-sour caponata of aubergine, celery, peppers, olives, capers and anchovies, balanced with a delicate white wine and raspberry vinegar reduction flavoured with bay leaf, white peppercorns, honey and shallot.

Toothfish with oyster foam and macademia purée from LuMi Dining, Pyrmont, Australia

A portion of toothfish is glazed with sake lees butter (sake lees being the yeast from sake production) and then grilled under a salamander. This is served alongside a purée of roasted macademia nuts, a foam of oysters (with cream, butter, shallots, white wine, sudachi citrus, and shiro soy/white soy), pickled kabu (a type of turnip) and an intense oil flavoured with chilli, mustard and cumin. It is a dish which nods more to Japan than to Italy, but is none the worse for it.

Carpaccio di gambero rosso di Mazara from Senzanome, Brussels, Belgium

We couldn't compile a list such as this without including a nod to our crustacean namesake, even if it isn't technically a fish. This particular expression from Senzanome in Brussels tops a wafer-thin carpaccio of red prawns with beautifully-piped pearls of potato purée (flavoured with a high quality white balsamic vinegar) and sour cream (further sharpened with lemon juice). Slices of radish, a brunoise of cucumber, a quenelle of smoked herring or trout roe and three dots of lemon paste greatly enhance the final dish's looks, texture and taste.

Pezzogna all'acqua pazza di cedri e peperoncino from Fiola, Washington D.C., USA

Fiola, the celebrated Tre Forchette-winning restaurant in the US capital, is actually doing its own Feast of the Seven Fishes menu on Christmas Eve, with courses ranging from a sea urchin and langoustine salad to branzino mantecato-filled ravioli mezzaluna. However, although not on that particular menu, this dish of wild-caught sea bream from New Zealand, served with the restaurant's own version of acqua pazza (or 'crazy water') flavoured with cedro lemons and a spark of Calabrian chilli, is also sure to provide a taste of sunshine during the coldest season.

Black cod with Jerusalem artichoke and dashi from Clara, Bangkok, Thailand

Another recipe which gives a beautiful piece of fish a slightly East Asian twist, this dish from Thailand's Clara is described as "Italian in soul, contemporary in technique". The fillet of black cod is marinated in Verdicchio and then delicately cooked so that the nuances of the fish can be preserved. This is then served with Jerusalem artichoke prepared in a trio of manners – purée, roasted and lightly fermented – as well as a clear, umami-rich broth made from kombu and fish bones. It has sweetness, saltiness and savouriness in abundance.