Italian Seafood Salad (Insalata di Frutti di Mare)

If you’re Italian, chances are you’ve enjoyed a beautiful seafood salad during the holidays. Traditionally served on Christmas Eve as part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, this classic Insalata di Frutti di Mare deserves a place on the table all year long.

I make this seafood salad every holiday season, but honestly, it’s far too delicious to save for just one occasion. Loaded with lobster, shrimp, scallops, mussels, calamari, and octopus, it’s a seafood lover’s dream. Everything is gently poached in an aromatic broth infused with wine, citrus, herbs, garlic, and fennel, creating incredible depth of flavor without overpowering the delicate seafood.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with countless versions of seafood salad, and this one is my absolute favorite. The combination of tender seafood, bright lemon, crisp fennel, fresh herbs, and briny olives creates the perfect balance of flavors.

One shortcut I love is purchasing already-cooked octopus tentacles from my local fish market. It saves time and effort while still delivering amazing flavor. Of course, if you prefer to cook a whole octopus yourself, go for it!

The best part? This recipe is incredibly flexible. Add your favorite seafood, leave out something you don’t enjoy, or adjust quantities based on what’s available. It’s hard to go wrong when you’re working with fresh seafood, citrus, and herbs.

Italian Seafood Salad

Serves 8

For the Poaching Liquid

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 cup orange juice
• Sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Sprigs of fresh thyme
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• ½ onion
• Fennel tops
• 1–2 bottles clam juice

For the Salad

• 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 pounds calamari, cut into rings
• 1 pound cooked octopus, sliced
• 3 lobster tails, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pound sea scallops, cut in half
• 2 pounds mussels
• 1 lemon, sliced into half-moons
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (or to taste)
• Green Italian olives, pitted and whole
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Dried oregano, to taste
• Splash of white wine vinegar
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• 4–6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• Arugula, for serving

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine the water, white wine, orange juice, rosemary, thyme, garlic cloves, onion, fennel tops, and clam juice. Bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Working with one type of seafood at a time, poach each seafood separately until just cooked through. Avoid overcooking. I like to place the seafood in a colander set inside the pot, making it easy to remove each variety as soon as it’s done.
3. Allow the seafood to cool.
4. In a very large bowl, combine the shrimp, calamari, octopus, lobster, scallops, and mussels.
5. Add the lemon slices, lemon juice, olives, salt, pepper, oregano, white wine vinegar, parsley, minced garlic, fennel, celery, and red onion.
6. Toss everything together thoroughly.
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
8. The next day, taste and adjust seasoning, lemon juice, salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.
9. Serve over a bed of fresh arugula.

Notes

• This recipe can easily be cut in half for a smaller gathering.
• Feel free to customize the seafood based on availability and personal preference.
• The salad tastes even better after marinating overnight.
• Perfect for holidays, special occasions, summer entertaining, or whenever you’re craving fresh seafood.
• Choose organic when you can.

This seafood salad is everything I love about Italian cooking—simple ingredients, incredible flavors, and plenty of room to make it your own. The bright citrus, crunchy fennel, fresh herbs, and assortment of seafood create a dish that’s elegant enough for the holidays but easy enough to enjoy any time of year.

If you make it, I’d love to hear how you customized it and what seafood you included!

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