Marinated Shrimp and Calamari Salad

Peggy Lampman | Contributor

This is how I stake my claim to the recipe: I added an extra pound of seafood, calamari rings specifically, as I found there was plenty of marinade to accommodate the additional seafood. I'd imagine scallops or any other seafood combination would be fine. I purchased frozen bags of shrimp (raw, shell-on) and calamari, which I thawed, poached in seasoned water, then sliced into rings at Meijers. The cost was about $28.00 for 3 pounds.

I also doubled the amount of basil as it is still prolific in my garden. In my opinion, one can never add enough fresh basil. This would be wonderful served in raddichhio cups with a crusty loaf of freshly baked bread.

Yield: Appetizers for 12-16 (depending on other foods served)
Cost: Approx. $14-$30 (depending on type of fresh shrimp used)
Active Time: 30 minutes (includes time to boil shrimp)
Marinate Time: 4-24 hours

Ingredients

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2-4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup capers, brine from bottle included
Hot sauce
1 medium white onion, sliced as thinly as possible
2 pounds medium-sized cooked shrimp*, shelled and deveined
1 pound cooked calamari rings
1 large lemon, sliced as thinly as possible
1/2 cup basil, torn

*I always buy raw shrimp and cook them, in the shell, in a large pot of rapidly boiling water seasoned with a seafood seasoning, such as Zatarain's or Old Bay. Do not overcook your shrimp! Cooking time depends on the size of the shrimp used, anywhere from 1 to 4 minutes.

Directions

1. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, 2 teaspoons garlic and brine from capers. Add kosher salt, hot sauce and additional garlic, if desired, to taste.
2. Place shrimp, calamari and onion in marinade and marinate, refrigerated, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Garnish with sliced lemon and basil before serving.