Italian Seafood Salad (Insalada di Mare)
In this classic Italian seafood salad recipe, tender shrimp, calamari, clams, and mussels are marinated in a zesty lemon dressing and tossed with crunchy, quick-pickled vegetables. Serve this colorful salad with good bread or bruschetta for mopping up the juices.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Seafood Salad:
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, seafood stock, vegetable broth, or water, divided
- 2 pounds fresh live Manila or littleneck clams (about 2 dozen), purged and scrubbed
- 1 pound fresh live mussels (about 2 dozen), scrubbed and de-bearded if necessary
- 3/4 pound medium to large shrimp (20 to 25), peeled and deveined
- 3/4 pound cleaned calamari a mix of sacs and tentacles; sacs cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings and bite-size pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt
- 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
For the Quick-Pickled Vegetables:
- 1 large stalk celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 5 radishes, diced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup cider or white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Steam the clams. Into a large skillet, add 1/4 cup dry white wine (seafood stock, vegetable broth, or water) and the clams. Cover and set on medium-high heat. Let the clams cook for about 8 minutes, until they have all opened. Discard any that have not opened after 10 minutes. Transfer the clams to a bowl, leaving the juices in the skillet.
- Steam the mussels. Add the remaining 1/4 cup wine and mussels to the skillet, cover, and cook over medium-high for 5 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened. Toss out any that have not opened within 10 minutes. Using a skimmer or tongs, transfer the mussels to the bowl with the clams and let them cool briefly.
- Strain the shellfish cooking juices. Line a fine-mesh sieve with a layer of damp paper towel and set it over a bowl. Pour the clam and mussel juices through the sieve and let them drip into the bowl. Cover and refrigerate until you make the dressing.
- Shuck the clams and mussels. With your fingers, pluck out the clams and mussels from their shells and transfer them to a clean bowl. Pour a splash of the reserved shell fish juices over the shellfish to keep them moist. Cover and refrigerate.
- Steam the shrimp. Place a steamer basket inside a medium saucepan and add an inch of water. Make sure the bottom of the basket is above the water level. Bring the water to a boil and add the shrimp to the steamer basket. Cover and steam for 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are just cooked through. Transfer them to a bowl.
- Poach the calamari. Remove the steaming basket from the pot of water. Add more water to the pot if needed so that there is enough to cover the calamari. Add a fresh bay leaf and a generous pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil and drop in the calamari, stirring to separate the pieces. Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the pieces are opaque but still very tender. Take care not to overcook or they will toughen. Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer the calamari to the bowl with the shrimp.
- Make the dressing. With a vegetable peeler, peel off 4 strips of zest from 1 lemon—just the yellow part, no white pith—and set them aside. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a small bowl—you’ll need 4 tablespoons total. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the reserved shellfish juices. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, the garlic, parsley, and crushed red pepper. Whisk in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Use less oil for a more pronounced lemon flavor, and more for a gentler flavor. Stir in the capers. Taste and add additional salt if needed.
- Marinate the seafood. Place the shrimp, calamari, clams, and mussels in a large bowl and pour the dressing over them. Add the reserved strips of lemon zest and toss gently with a spoon. Tuck in remaining bay leaf, cover, and refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours.
- Make the pickled vegetables. In a bowl, toss together the celery, carrots, and radishes. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan with, and heat on medium, stirring, until the sugar and salt are dissolved and the mixture is hot but not boiling. Pour the brine over the vegetables, stirring to mix everything together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Assemble and serve the salad. About 30 minutes before you want to serve the salad, remove the quick-pickled vegetables from the refrigerator and drain them. Add the vegetables to the marinated seafood and toss well to combine. Cover and return the insalata di mare to the refrigerator for 30 more minutes. Serve cold. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil used in this recipe.
- Why not cook the mussels and clams together? Mussels and clams have slightly different cooking times, so I steam them separately from one another. This prevents either from being over- or undercooked.
Nutrition
Calories: 275.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.4g | Protein: 21.5g | Fat: 15.2g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.1g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 180.7mg | Sodium: 348.7mg | Potassium: 403.4mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 5.5g | Vitamin A: 1498IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 69.3mg | Iron: 2.3mg
QR code
Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.
