The heat of summer is here. Whether you’re in relatively mild and dry LA or dealing with that sticky, hot, and humid Pennsylvania air, there’s no denying it: summer has arrived in full force.
This is exactly the kind of weather that calls for easy, breezy outdoor meals. Long evenings at the table with family and friends as the sun sets and the evening cools, or by day under the shade of a grape arbor or giant tree if you’re lucky, cold drinks sweating in your glass. No one wants to be stuck cooking over a hot stove. This is the season for dishes that come together simply, can be made ahead, and taste even better as they sit.
That’s part of why I love this variation of the Italian classic rice salad. Even the name feels like summer: Insalata di riso alla marinara, rice salad in the style of the sailor. It instantly conjures up something casual, practical, and meant to be shared, the kind of dish you’d bring out to a table under the open sky.
And then there’s the word marinara, maybe one of the most misunderstood names in Italian cooking. It may make us think of the tomato sauce for pasta, but the name actually means “in the style of the sailor” and refers to the quick tomato sauce prepared when the fishing boats were spotted coming into port.
That spirit carries right into this dish. It’s unfussy, adaptable, and perfect for warm weather gatherings. It’s a celebration of the sea with seafood and the “marinara” – the sailor. It’s easy to set down a big bowl in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in amidst lively conversation, as the peaceful evening stretches on and the stars begin to come out.
Serve the salad well chilled, straight from the refrigerator, with a very cold, crisp white wine. Round out the table with other summer dishes like pickled vegetables , Sicilian caponata or a simple Caprese salad.
So here’s to a wonderful summer with friends, family and food and some crisp very cold wine. We have a longer outdoor season here in LA, but as the daylight hours get shorter, the feeling of summer will slip away.
Seafood Rice Salad
Description
This recipe is what you make of it. Think of it as a flexible take on a classic summer seafood rice salad. I suggest some quantities and ingredients below, but feel free to use the freshest seafood you can find. You can also add cooked fish, like salmon, just handle it gently when folding it in.
The real magic of this recipe comes from using the mussel and clam cooking liquid to prepare the rice. It adds a subtle, briny depth of flavor without being overpowering.
Ingredients
- 1 lb mussels, breads removed and rinsed
- 1 lb small clams (i.e., manilla), soaked in salty ice water for 1 hour and drained
- ½ lb squid bodies, cut into wide rings, rinsed and patted dry
- ½ lb peeled and deveined shrimp, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 ½→3 c. Japanese rice cooker cups of white rice (short grain is typical in Italy but I like long grain because it tends to not stick together so much)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small bunch parsley, chopped and divided
- ¼→½ c. black or green olives, pitted and torn apart
- One cooked octopus leg (found at seafood markets or Japanese/Korean groceries), sliced into thick rounds and keep the very end for garish
- Extras:
- Sliced cherry tomatoes
- Frozen petite peas
- Artichoke hearts, sliced
- Fresh cooked corn
- Anything else you might like especially for added color
- Extra virgin olive oil and 1 or 2 lemons.
Instructions
- Setup a skillet with a lid for cooking all the seafood. Place the mussels in the pan, cover and place over medium heat. Slowly cook until the mussels have opened. Discard any that don’t. Leave the liquid in the pan and remove the mussels to strainer over a bowl.
- Add the clams to same pan. Slowly cook until the clams have opened. Discard any that don’t. Remove the clams to the same strainer. Shake the strainer to drain off any more juices remaining in the shells. Put the cooked shellfish in the fridge to stop the cooking.
- Set up a pan or rice cooker with rice. Hold off on the water.
- Pass the accumulated juices through cheesecloth or paper towel to remove any sand/debris. Add enough water to juices to come up to the amount you need for the rice. Add to the rice and cook as you normally would. Fluff when it’s done. Spread out on a clean sheet pan to cool off fast.
- Set up a mixing bowl with the garlic and half the chopped parsley. Then using the same covered pan, set over medium heat with a splash of olive oil. Add the squid, cover and cook for about 1 minute until they go from translucent to white. Removed to the bowl with the parsley/garlic. Now add the shrimp to the pan and cook for the same amount of time then remove to same bowl.
- If there is any leftover juice in the pan add to the bowl and place in the fridge to stop the cooking.
- When all the ingredients are ready, set up a large mixing bowl and add the rice, seafood (reserving some for garish on top of the salad), olives and extras. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze at least ½ lemon.
- Add the remaining parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss. Taste and add more flavoring (olive oil, lemon, salt/pepper) as you like.
- Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour and more. Move to a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining seafood. Serve cold.