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Italian Seafood Salad is a traditional dish enjoyed on Christmas Eve for the Feast of the Seven Fishes. This fresh, flavorful recipe features seven types of seafood tossed in a light, zesty homemade dressing.
Seafood Salad has been a long-standing tradition for Christmas Eve dinner. For me, this dish captures the essence of Christmas Eve—bringing family together to share delicious food and create lasting memories.
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🐟 What is the Feast of the Seven Fishes?
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American tradition celebrated on Christmas Eve and consists of a meal of seven different types of seafood. It is often served with salad, bread, and other meat-free dishes.
This tradition originates from "The Vigil" (La Vigilia), a southern Italian custom of abstaining from meat before a feast.
🦐 Ingredients to Make Italian Seafood Salad
I like to use seven different types of seafood in my salad to carry on the tradition of the feast.
Feel free to customize the seafood selection to your family’s preferences. Here's my preferred seafood selection:
- Lobster
- Shrimp
- Scallops
- Halibut
- Calamari (Squid)
- Clams
- Mussels
Optional Additions: octopus, crab, other white fish varieties, or scungilli (conch).
⭐️ Chef's Secret
Fresh clams and mussels should be alive and in good condition before cooking. Store them in a bowl covered with a damp paper towel in the refrigerator, not in a closed container. Tap their shells before cooking to ensure they’re alive; discard any that remain open. During cooking, their shells should open. If not, discard them.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Seafood Salad for Christmas Eve
First, I like to soak my clams and mussels in cool water to remove excess sand.
Next, prepare the poaching broth for the seafood. My recipe is an adapted version of Ina Garten’s used in her seafood salad.
One by one, you will poach each seafood in the broth until it is cooked, starting with the lobster, then the shrimp and scallops.
Next up is the halibut and calamari, then clams and mussels. You want to do it in this order so the broth stays fresh.
Once cooked, chill the seafood in the fridge before handling it while you prepare the dressing.
This light and fresh dressing combines sauteed garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, olive oil, and some poaching liquid. Mix this with garlic powder, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and chill while you prepare the seafood.
Remove the meat from the shells for the lobster and shrimp. Chop these into similar bite-sized pieces, along with the halibut and scallops. I will also slice the calamari tubes, but leave the tentacles whole. If they are large, cut them into smaller pieces as well. Lastly, remove the clams and mussels from their shells and add everything to a serving bowl.
Mix the seafood with the dressing, olives, and fresh parsley. Let it chill for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld. (I prefer making it the day before for even better flavor.)
Glossary
If you don't recognize a tool or skill I mentioned, you can look it up in my Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information!
🍽️ What to Serve on Christmas Eve with Seafood Salad
Pasta is a staple for every holiday in our family. On Christmas Eve, I also like to do some appetizers, a salad, and fun desserts. Here are some delicious options to include in your celebration:
Recipe
Italian Seafood Salad Recipe for Feast of the Seven Fishes
Ingredients
- 3 quarts water
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 Tablespoon old bay seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 pound mussels
- 1 pound clams
- 6 ounce lobster tail
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, shell-on, deveined
- ½ pound sea scallops
- 1 pound calamari, tubes and tentacles
- 8 ounces halibut
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice only
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 ½ cups castelvetrano olives, cured in oil
Instructions
- Heat the water, wine, old bay seasoning, and salt in a large pot, bringing it to a low boil over medium heat on the stovetop.
- Cover the mussels and clams with cool water in a large bowl. Let them sit for 2 minutes to clean out any leftover sand. Drain and set aside.
- First, cook the lobster in the poaching liquid for 3-5 minutes until the meat is opaque, the shell is orange-red, and the tail is slightly curled. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
- Next, cook the shrimp for 3-5 minutes until the meat is opaque, the shell is pink, and they are slightly curled. Remove with a slotted spoon and in the bowl.
- Cook the scallops for 2-3 minutes until opaque and slightly firm. Remove with a slotted spoon and set in the bowl.
- Add the calamari tubes and tentacles and cook for 1-2 minutes until opaque and slightly firm. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the bowl.
- Cook the halibut filet for 3-5 minutes until opaque and flaky. Remove with a slotted spoon and set in the bowl.
- Add the clams to the liquid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shells open, discarding any that don't. Remove opened clams with a slotted spoon and set in the bowl.
- Lastly, cook the mussels for 2-3 minutes until they open, discarding any that don't. Remove opened mussels with a slotted spoon and add to the bowl.
- Reserve one cup of the cooking liquid for the dressing and discard the rest. Place the bowl of seafood in the refrigerator to chill.
- Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper and saute for 2 minutes until the garlic is golden brown.
- Mix in the reserved cooking liquid, garlic powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and let it cool.
- Remove the lobster and shrimp meat from the shells and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Chop the halibut and scallops into bite-sized pieces and place them in a serving bowl with the lobster and shrimp.
- Slice the calamari tubes and add them to the serving bowl. Remove the meat from the shells of the clams and mussels and add them to the bowl.
- Add the fresh parsley and olives, and pour the prepared dressing over the top. Toss gently to combine.
- Chill the salad in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
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