Seafood Salad (Naples)

Salads

Ingredients

Mussels - 3- 3 1/2

Baby clams - 1 1/2 pounds

Salt

Olive oil

Octopus - 1 12 pounds

Shrimps - 1 1/2 pounds

French mustard - 1 tsp

Juice of 2 lemons

Parsley, finely chopped - 2-3 sprigs

Pepper

Wash the mussels and clams in plenty of salted water and scrape them thoroughly with a stiff brush.

Pour 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil into a large pan, add the mussels and clams and cook, covered, over a high heat for 10 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. When the shells open, take the mussels and clams out, catching the liquor in a bowl. Strain the liquor and put aside.

Turn out the inside bag of the octopus and empty it. Remove and discard the eye and beak, which is at the bottom of the bag. Wash the octopus well and beat it vigorously with a cutlet bat to tenderize it. Put the octopus into a large pan, add the strained liquor from the shellfish and cook gently for about 2 hours. Add the shrimps and continue cooking for 10 minutes longer.

Take the octopus and shrimps from the pan. Shell the shrimps and cut the octopus into small pieces. Arrange all the fish together attractively in a salad bowl. Mix plenty of oil with the mustard, lemon juice, parsley, a little salt and a good sprinkling of freshly ground pepper. Pour over the fish, mix lightly and leave for about 2 hours before serving.

Serves 6