Insalata di mare
Seafood salad
Insalata di mare: Italian seafood salad with squid, prawns, mussels and lemon
Along every Italian coast, from the Adriatic beaches of Romagna to the Amalfi Coast, insalata di mare is the cold antipasto that opens a seafood lunch in summer and the Christmas Eve feast in winter. Squid, prawns, mussels and clams are cooked separately, each just long enough, then dressed with lemon, olive oil, garlic, celery and parsley and left to chill so the flavours meld. Chef's tip: cook each kind of seafood on its own and pull it the moment it is done; squid needs only a minute or two, and overcooked squid turns as tough as a rubber band.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb live musselsscrubbed, beards removed
- 1 ⅛ lb live clamssoaked
- 14 oz cleaned squidbodies cut into rings, tentacles halved
- 10 ½ oz raw king prawnspeeled and deveined
- ½ cup water
- 2 celery sticksfinely sliced
- 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 1 clove garlicfinely chopped
- 2 lemonsjuiced
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp chilli flakesopt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 1 ⅛ lb live clams in salted cold water for 1 hour to let them spit out sand. Tap any open 1 ⅛ lb live mussels or clams on the counter: discard any that don't close, and any with cracked shells.
Step 2: Put the mussels and clams in a wide pan with ½ cup water, cover and cook over a high heat for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pan, until they open. Discard any that stay closed. Lift out the seafood, strain the liquid through a fine sieve and keep it. Take most of the meat out of the shells.
5 minStep 3: Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Cook 14 oz cleaned squid for 1–2 minutes, until white and opaque, and lift it out. Cook 10 ½ oz raw king prawns in the same water for 2 minutes, until pink and opaque all the way through. Common mistake: cooking all the seafood together; each needs a different time.
5 minStep 4: Whisk 2 lemons, 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp chilli flakes, if using, and 3 tablespoons of the strained shellfish liquid.
Step 5: Toss all the seafood with 2 celery sticks, 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and the dressing. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, stirring once.
Step 6: Serve cold within the day, with a little more oil and lemon. Keep it in the fridge and don't leave it out for more than 2 hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does insalata di mare take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of celery sticks?
- Fennel, same weight.
- What can I use instead of flat-leaf parsley?
- Curly parsley or coriander, same amount.
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