Ina Garten's Italian Seafood Salad

Ina's Italian Seafood Salad minus the Mussel shells....

and with them served on a bed of lettuceIt’s houseguest season and that means

food. Lots of it. By my count, between

Friday and Sunday, there are total of 6 meals to offer: 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts

and 2 lunches. If that all seems overwhelming,

don’t kill me for saying it doesn’t have to be. The more you get done before the guests

arrive, the easier your weekend will be.

This dish could not be a better example.

You make the whole thing in all of an hour in the morning, stick it in

the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and you’ve got a superb dinner or lunch

whenever you want it.

Except for the Shrimp, everything else

is from the Hamptons.Out here in the Hamptons, seafood is

the perfect locavore ingredient to serve.

The waters around here team with the Squid, Mussels and Scallops the

recipe calls for. Granted, shrimp are few

and far between in these waters, likely to have been brought up here from the

Gulf Coast, but they’re the exception. Our local Squid in particular is rated

as a “Best Choice” on the Monterey Bay’s Seafood Watch

(www.seafoodwatch.org). Mussels can be found

clinging to every dock in the region.

And Sea Scallops come right out of the bay not 5 miles from our house,

although Hurricane Sandy put a dent in the crop that we still recovering from. Finally, what else says “Welcome to Long

Island” more than a seafood entrée featuring the local catch plus one…unless,

of course, it’s a potato.

Ina Garten is no stranger to this

blog. We love the simplicity of

everything she makes and this is no exception. From her latest cookbook “Foolproof” (Clarkson

Potter 2012), it’s her take on an Italian restaurant stand-by. But it’s a complete original full of lemon-y

sauce magnified by the addition of Limoncello liqueur to give it even more

lemon-y punch. The seafood in this dish

cooks in no time. This short cooking

time is essential to maintain its delicacy, otherwise you will find yourself

with rubbery shrimp and tough squid. The best thing to do is to have absolutely

everything lined up and ready to go before you start. And that also applies to the sauce. This fragrant mix of garlic, oregano and red

pepper flakes is full of diced tomatoes, lemon zest and juice. The addition of a splash of the cooking liquid boosts the seafood flavor even higher. All the ingredients go into a skillet in short order so

have them lined up and ready to go too. The last ingredient into the mix is the thinly sliced fennel which adds a licorice crunch to the salad. We served the dish for dinner with only one accompaniment: French bread dripping

in garlic butter and I do mean dripping.

It was the perfect counterpoint to the lemon-y salad.

Recipe for Ina Garten’s Italian Seafood

Salad

Serves 6 to

8. Takes 1 hour to make then another 3 in the fridge.

rest.

Add the wine

to the poaching liquid and bring to a boil. Add the scallops, lower the heat,

and simmer for 2 minutes, until just cooked. With the skimmer, transfer the

scallops to the bowl with the shrimp. Bring the poaching liquid back to a boil,

add the calamari, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until just cooked. Be careful

not to overcook any of the seafood or it will be tough! With the skimmer,

transfer the calamari to the bowl.

Bring the

poaching liquid to a boil again, add the mussels, cover, and simmer for 4 to 5

minutes, until all the shells have opened, discarding any that don't open. Turn

off the heat and set aside until the mussels in the broth are cool enough to

handle. Remove the mussels from the shells and add to the bowl. Add 12 of the

shells to the seafood and discard the rest. Set aside 1/2 cup of the poaching

liquid, discarding the rest. Drain the seafood in a colander and put it all

back into the bowl.

For the

dressing, heat the olive oil in a medium (10-inch) saute pan over medium heat.

Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. (Be

careful: Overcooked garlic will be bitter.) Add the tomatoes and cook over

medium heat for 2 more minutes.

Add the reserved poaching liquid, the

limoncello, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper

and cook for 1 more minute. Pour the sauce over the seafood and toss gently.

Add the fennel and parsley. Cut a lemon in half lengthwise, cut it thinly

crosswise, and add it to the salad. Toss gently to combine and cover with

plastic wrap. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

To serve,

sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the juice of the

remaining lemon. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.