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Italian insalata di mare on a white plate with squid rings, shrimp, mussels, clams, and fresh parsley on marble

Insalata di Mare (Italian Seafood Salad)

A classic Italian seafood salad of squid, shrimp, mussels, and clams, dressed with lemon, garlic, and olive oil.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 290

Ingredients
  

Seafood
  • 300 g cleaned squid (calamari), bodies and tentacles bodies sliced into 1 cm rings
  • 250 g raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 400 g live mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 400 g live small clams (vongole or littleneck) soaked in salted water 30 min
Dressing and aromatics
  • 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil about 5 tbsp
  • 60 ml fresh lemon juice from about 1 large lemon
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped loosely packed
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Poaching liquid
  • 2 liters water
  • 100 ml dry white wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 lemon slice
  • 1 tbsp salt

Method
 

Prepare the clams
  1. Drain the clams from their soaking water. Place them in a large saucepan over medium-high heat with 50 ml of the white wine. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the shells open, shaking the pan once halfway through.
  2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer opened clams to a bowl. Discard any that stayed closed. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a paper towel to remove grit, then reserve 100 ml of it.
  3. When cool enough to handle, remove clam meat from shells and place in a large mixing bowl. Leave a few in the shell for presentation if you like.
Cook the mussels
  1. Add the mussels to the same saucepan with the remaining 50 ml of white wine. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until all shells have opened.
  2. Transfer mussels with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Discard any unopened ones. Remove mussel meat from shells, reserving a few in the shell for presentation. Add meat to the bowl with the clams.
Poach the squid and shrimp
  1. Combine 2 liters of water, the reserved clam liquid, bay leaf, lemon slice, and 1 tbsp salt in the large saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
  2. Add squid rings and tentacles. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until opaque and just tender. Lift out with a slotted spoon and add to the mixing bowl.
  3. Return the water to a simmer. Add shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until pink and opaque. Drain and add to the mixing bowl with the other seafood.
Dress and rest
  1. While the seafood is still warm, add the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, and half the chopped parsley to the bowl. Season with salt and black pepper.
  2. Toss gently to coat all the seafood evenly. Taste and adjust salt or lemon if needed.
  3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Scatter the remaining parsley over the top just before bringing it to the table.

Notes

For a richer salad, add 200 g of cooked octopus (cut into small pieces) alongside the squid. It needs about 45 minutes of gentle simmering on its own before joining the rest.