Insalata di Mare

Before You Start

Ninety seconds for the squid. Anything more needs forty minutes to recover.

Each thing cooked separately, in turn.

Dress it warm, serve it cool.

Cooking Insalata di Mare

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1. Steam the mussels open in a covered pan with a splash of water, 4 minutes. Shell them, discarding any that stayed shut, and keep the liquor.

   Mark done

2. Bring a pan of water to the boil with the halved lemon, bay and salt.

   Mark done

3. Drop the prawns in for 90 seconds, lift them out with a slotted spoon, and peel them once cool enough.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

4. Drop the squid rings into the same water for 90 seconds only, then lift out immediately.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

5. Whisk the dressing ingredients together with 2 tbsp of the strained mussel liquor.

   Mark done

6. Combine all the seafood while it is still warm and pour the dressing over.

   Mark done

7. Leave 30 minutes at room temperature for the flavours to settle, then serve cool but not fridge-cold.

   Mark done

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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What's Going On Here

Squid has two states — under two minutes or over forty — and everything between is rubber. Prawns need ninety seconds, mussels four. Cooked together in one pot, at least two of the three will be wrong, so each goes into the same pan of water in turn and comes out on its own schedule. Dress the seafood while it is still warm: it absorbs the lemon and oil then, and refuses to once cold.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Refrigerated for 2 days. Bring back to room temperature and refresh the lemon and parsley.

Ingredient Swaps

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Good With

• Crusty bread
• A glass of Vermentino
• Lemon wedges

Questions and Answers

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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