Description
Seven Fishes Seafood Salad is a traditional Italian-American dish served on Christmas Eve. This cold seafood antipasto features a medley of poached and marinated seafood—typically including shrimp, calamari, scallops, and more—tossed in a zesty lemon-garlic dressing with herbs and vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb scallops
- 1/2 lb calamari (squid), cleaned and sliced into rings
- 1/2 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1/2 lb clams, scrubbed
- 1/2 lb lobster or crab meat (optional)
- 1/2 lb firm white fish (like cod or halibut), cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
- For the Dressing:
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Poach each type of seafood separately until just cooked through (1–3 minutes depending on type), then transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking.
- Drain all seafood well and pat dry with paper towels. Remove mussels and clams from shells if desired.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked seafood with celery, red onion, parsley, and capers.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the seafood mixture and toss to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to let flavors meld.
- Before serving, gently toss and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve chilled as an antipasto.
Notes
- Use the freshest seafood available and don’t overcook it to maintain tenderness.
- You can customize with your preferred seafood, keeping the traditional number seven.
- This salad is best made a day ahead for maximum flavor development.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
Keywords: seven fishes salad, Italian seafood salad, Christmas Eve, Feast of the Seven Fishes, marinated seafood, Italian antipasto