Recipe: New York Times Seafood Salad

Seafood Salad
1 hour plus 1 hour's marinating
From The New York Times (July, 2002)

1/2 pound cleaned calamari
1/2 pound sea scallops
3/8 pound cooked scungilli, sold in some fish markets
3 large cloves garlic, sliced paper thin
3/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 dried red chilies
3 large strands fresh seaweed
Zest of 2 lemons, finely slivered
Sea salt
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound cultivated mussels, scrubbed
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed and shucked, juice reserved
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup minced flat parsley leaves
1/3 cup minced mint leaves
1 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Leaves from 6 sprigs parsley and 6 sprigs mint, for garnish.

Remove and reserve tentacles from calamari. Slice calamari in thin rings. Remove and discard hard nugget of muscle on side of scallops. Slice scallops horizontally. Cut scungilli in half and, with the point of a knife, pry out sac in middle of each half. Cut off any narrow dark rubbery protrusions. Place garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil in small dish. Place chilies, seaweed and half the lemon zest in a six-quart pot. Add 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes. Stir in about 2 tablespoons sea salt. Add scungilli, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain. Set aside. Add calamari rings and tentacles to pot, simmer 1 minute, remove with slotted spoon, drain, and set aside. Add scallops, cook about 2 minutes, remove, drain, and set aside. Add shrimp, cook about 2 minutes, remove, drain, and set aside. Bring liquid to a boil, add mussels, and cook just until they open; remove, and drain.

In a small skillet, cook garlic in oil until softened. Place garlic and oil in large bowl. Add clams and juice, calamari, shrimp and scallops. Thinly slice scungilli, and add it. Add remaining zest, lemon juice, vinegar, onion, minced herbs, and 1/2 cup olive oil. Fold together. Add mussels in their shells and more oil to taste, chili flakes and black pepper. Set aside, covered, about 1 hour. Toss ingredients. Add more oil and seasonings if needed. Spoon into serving dish. Bruise remaining mint and parsley between fingers, and scatter on top. Serve. 4 servings.