Italian Seafood Salad

Name: Italian Seafood Salad
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: Makes 10 cups; serves 8 to 10
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons), plus wedges for serving; 1/2 teaspoon sugar, plus 6 tablespoons, separated; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic (1 small clove); 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1 cup whole leaves; 1 pound small squid, cleaned, bodies cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings and tentacles halved; 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 pound mussels, cleaned; 1 small bulb fennel, quartered and thinly sliced (2 cups); 1 small red or orange bell pepper, finely chopped (1 cup); 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1 cup); 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over

Recipe photo courtesy of Emily Kate Roemer

Seafood is a must for the Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian Christmas Eve tradition. This salad with squid, shrimp, mussels, and crab is a delicious way to kick off the meal.

1 hour 40 mins 1 hour 15 mins Makes 10 cups; serves 8 to 10

Total Time Prep Yield

Ingredients

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together lemon zest, juice, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic. Whisk in oil and chopped parsley.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 4 quarts water, 6 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 cup salt to a boil. Add squid and blanch until just tender, 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon or a spider, transfer squid to an ice bath to stop cooking. Once cool, drain squid and lay on paper towels to dry; transfer to bowl with dressing.
3. Return water to a boil. Add shrimp, stir once, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand 3 minutes; using a slotted spoon, remove to a plate to cool slightly; pat dry and transfer to bowl with squid. Return water to a boil and add mussels, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until mussels open, 3 to 5 minutes (discard any unopened mussels). Drain and transfer to a plate to cool. Remove all but 10 mussels from their shells and add to bowl with seafood. Reserve mussels in shell for serving.
4. Toss dressed seafood with fennel, bell pepper, celery, crab, and parsley leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, with reserved mussels and lemon wedges, or store, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 8 hours.

Cook's Notes

Soak mussels in cold salt water for 15 minutes before using to purge them of any residual sand. Make sure to pat the seafood dry after cooking to keep the dressing from becoming watered down.