TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Insalata di MareItalian Seafood Salad
A coastal antipasto of octopus, shrimp, mussels and squid, each cooked with the heat best suited to it, then dressed with lemon and olive oil.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- OctopusRub with coarse salt to remove the slippery coating, then rinse500 g
- ShrimpShell-on; devein8 pieces
- MusselsRemove the beards and scrub the shells500 g
- SquidRemove the innards and cartilage, then cut into rings300 g
- CeleryThinly slice1 piece
- Flat-leaf parsleyFinely chop6 sprigs
- LemonSqueeze the juice1 piece
- Extra virgin olive oil70 ml
- Salt8 g
- Black peppera little
Method
Prepare the seafood
- 1 MeanwhileWhile preparing the seafood, start bringing a large pot of water to a boil.
- 2 Rub 500 g raw octopus thoroughly with coarse salt to remove the slippery coating, then rinse well under running water.
- 3 Devein 8 shrimp, leaving the shells on.
- 4 Remove the beards from 500 g mussels and scrub the shells.
- 5 Remove the innards and cartilage from 300 g squid and cut into rings.
- 6 Thinly slice 1 celery stalk and finely chop 6 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley.
Boil the octopus
- 1 Bring a pot of water to a boil and add 4 g salt.
- 2 Add the raw octopus and simmer over low heat for 35–40 minutes.
- 3 Once tender enough for a bamboo skewer to enter without resistance, leave it to rest in the water for 10 minutes.
Ready when
Proceed when a bamboo skewer enters the base of a thick arm without resistance and the octopus has cooled slightly after resting in the water for 10 minutes.
Cook each seafood separately
- 1 Steam the mussels in a covered pot for 3–4 minutes and remove when their shells open.
- 2 Boil the shrimp in boiling water for 2 minutes and remove when the flesh is white and firm.
- 3 Boil the squid for just 1 minute and remove when the rings curl and turn opaque.
Cut and cool
- 1 Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces.
- 2 Remove half the mussels from their shells.
Ready when
Spread the octopus, shrimp, mussels and squid on a tray and proceed once they have cooled slightly.
Dress the salad
- 1 Toss the seafood with the celery, flat-leaf parsley, lemon juice, 70 ml extra virgin olive oil, 4 g salt and black pepper.
Ready when
Refrigerate for 30 minutes; the salad is ready when the lemon fragrance has permeated the seafood.
About this dish
Insalata di mare has long been a much-loved summer antipasto along the Italian coast. Near fishing ports, small amounts of whatever seafood is available that day are combined into a cold dish to welcome family and guests.
The selection of seafood varies from Naples to Liguria and the Adriatic coast. Rather than giving a single type of fish the starring role, it brings several kinds of seafood from the harbor market together on one plate, reflecting coastal food culture.
It still appears in restaurant antipasto assortments and at summer gatherings at home. Often served with white wine at the beginning of a meal, it conveys the lightness of the seaside in hot weather.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
Bring every dish to the table at its best.
Choose the dishes you want to cook, and Chef Authen handles the shopping list and the day-of schedule. The Tabelia app turns everything from starter to main into one coordinated course in your kitchen.
- One shopping listBuilt automatically from your menu and any substitutions, ready to check off.
- One timelineEvery dish’s waiting and cooking time combined into a single schedule.
- Answers beyond the recipeFrom judging the heat to adapting on the fly, Chef Authen answers with concrete criteria, not guesses.