SEAFOOD SALAD easy appetizer
The classic seafood appetizer: fresh, tender, flavorful and smelling of the sea, found in various versions across all regions of Italy.
It typically includes mollusks and crustaceans such as octopus, shrimp, squid and mussels, to which a note of freshness is added with tomatoes, olives, pine nuts and parsley and the indispensable extra virgin olive oil.
Of course, like any good salad it can be enriched with other ingredients such as clams or other shellfish and flavored, for example, with celery or chives.
For an optimal result it is essential to use fresh ingredients, much tastier than frozen ones, and if possible prepare it a few hours before serving so that all the flavors meld.
Seafood salad is an absolutely easy recipe to prepare; the only “difficulty”, if it can be called that, is cleaning the ingredients and respecting their different cooking times.
SEAFOOD SALAD easy appetizer
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4 – 6 people
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- octopus (fresh, about 1 lb 12 oz (800 g))
- shrimp (about 14 oz (400 g))
- mussels (about 14 oz (400 g))
- squid (1 whole)
- tomato (1 large)
- garlic (1 clove)
- celery (1 stalk)
- carrot (1 small)
- onion (1 small)
- bay leaf (1 leaf)
- salt (to taste)
- whole peppercorns (to taste)
- black pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
- extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons)
- lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
- parsley (chopped, to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Preparation
First, clean the octopus: cut the sac near the eyes to remove them and remove the beak located underneath.
Rinse the octopus under running water and remove the entrails from the head, washing the inside of the sac thoroughly.
Fill a large pot with water, add the celery, carrot and onion cut into chunks, the bay leaf and the whole peppercorns.
As soon as it reaches a boil, fully immerse the octopus, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 30–35 minutes.
Before draining, check if it is cooked by pricking it with the tines of a fork: it should be tender but firm. When ready, drain it and set it aside — be sure to save the cooking water; you’ll need it later for the other ingredients.
Now take the squid: detach the head and remove the internal cartilage, rinse them under running water and remove the skin.
Cut into rings and set aside.
Move on to clean the shrimp: remove the head, peel off the shell and extract the digestive tract from the back by cutting with a knife.
Finally, take care of the mussels. Rinse them under running water, remove the beard and any encrustations or impurities. Once cleaned, set them aside.
Rinse them under running water, removing the beard and any encrustations or impurities. Once cleaned, set them aside.
Meanwhile, sauté a clove of garlic in a nonstick pan with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, add the mussels and cook with a lid for about 5 minutes.
After the time has passed, check the mussels and discard any that have not opened. Turn off the heat and remove the mussels from their shells.
Return to the pot where the octopus was cooked and, in the same water, first cook the squid for 5–6 minutes, then the shrimp for 1 minute.
Drain both and let them cool slightly.
Now that all the ingredients are cooked you can assemble your seafood salad.
Transfer the octopus to a cutting board and cut it into pieces, then place it on a serving platter together with the shellfish, mussels and squid.
Dress everything with oil, lemon, salt, pepper and chopped parsley, previously whisked and emulsified together in a bowl.
Add the tomato cut into pieces, the olives and the toasted pine nuts, give a final toss to your seafood salad and serve.
STORAGE
Once ready, you can store the seafood salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
TIP
If you want to make your seafood salad even richer and tastier, add clams, scampi, cuttlefish and baby octopus.
