Recipe: Garlicky Seafood Rice Salad (using squid, shrimp, and scallops) (blender)

GARLICKY SEAFOOD RICE SALAD

4 cups chicken broth
2 heads garlic, halved crosswise, divided use
2 cups rice
1/2 pound squid, cut into rings
1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 pound bay scallops
8 whole mussels, scrubbed
8 whole clams, scrubbed
1 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 whole lemon peel, grated
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup basil leaves, julienned (to serve)

In large saucepan, bring broth to boil with 2 garlic halves. Add rice and return to boil. Stir, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until rice is cooked through. Remove garlic and set aside. Spread rice on baking sheet and allow to cool.

Bring medium large pot of water to boil with 1 of the 2 remaining garlic halves. Drop squid into water and cook just until opaque, less than 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and cool.

Add shrimp to water and cook just until bright orange. Remove and cool.

Drop in scallops and cook just until opaque. Remove and cool.

In large skillet, bring about 3/4-inches water to boil with remaining garlic half. Add mussels and clams, cover, and steam just until shells open. Remove and cool. Remove shells, if desired.

In large bowl, combine cooled rice and seafood. Add tomato, celery, and green onion.

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:
In blender combine lemon juice and peel with olive oil. Squeeze cloves from garlic reserved from cooking rice and add to blender. Process until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add to rice mixture along with basil. Toss to combine thoroughly.

Serve at room temperature or chill up to several hours and serve cold.

Servings: 6
Source: The Totally Garlic Cookbook by Helene Siegel and Karen Gillingham