The Best Seafood Salad

SEAFOOD SALAD

Steps:

• Combine the quartered celery, smashed garlic, half of the lemon juice, 10 cups water, and salt and pepper to taste in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, then uncover, add the carrots and cook 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots and shrimp to a colander and rinse under cold water. Return the water to a boil, add the scallops and cook until opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the scallops with a slotted spoon, add to the colander and rinse under cold water.
• Ladle out 1/3 cup of the poaching liquid; set aside to cool. Dice half of the avocado and combine with the sliced celery, lettuce, capers and croutons in a large bowl. Add the carrots, shrimp and scallops.
• Puree the remaining avocado half in a blender with the reserved poaching liquid, the remaining lemon juice, the caper brine, chopped garlic, mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Toss with the salad and season with salt and pepper.

SEAFOOD SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lemon halves and garlic, then submerge a large heatproof strainer in the water. Soak the red onion in ice water while you cook the seafood. Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside.
• Add the shrimp to the strainer in the boiling water and cook until pink, about 2 minutes; carefully remove the strainer and add the shrimp to the large bowl of ice water. Bring the water back to a boil, return the strainer to the pot, then add the scallops and simmer until cooked through, about 2 minutes; remove the strainer and add the scallops to the ice water. Repeat with the calamari, cooking until they just turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the mussels, covering the pot; cook until the shells open, about 5 minutes. Drain the seafood from the ice water and remove the mussels from their shells; pat the seafood dry.
• Drain the red onion and pat dry. Combine the seafood, red onion, celery, fennel, olives and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle with the lemon juice and olive oil and toss; season with salt and pepper. Let stand 30 minutes before serving (or refrigerate up to 4 hours; bring to room temperature before serving). Top with fennel fronds. Photograph by Con Poulos

EASY SEAFOOD SALAD

Steps:

• Gently mix the shrimp, imitation crabmeat, cabbage, celery, and green onions together in a large bowl. Stir the mayonnaise and sugar together in a separate bowl until the sugar is dissolved into the mayonnaise; add to the shrimp mixture and gently stir until all ingredients are evenly coated.
• Refrigerate for 3 hours to allow the cabbage to soften and the flavors to blend.

THE BEST SEAFOOD SALAD

Steps:

• chop celery and slice onions thinly.
• Mix altogether and chill.
• Serve on rolls with any condiments you like.
• Lettuce is very good on these.
• You can even serve this on toast or crackers.

SEAFOOD SALAD

Steps:

• Break the imitation crab into bite-size chunks or chop with a knife; place in a large bowl.
• Add the remaining ingredients and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

THE BEST SEAFOOD SALAD SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In a medium-large sized bowl, roughly break up the crabmeat into small pieces (but not TOO small -- don't "pulverize" it, LOL).
• Add shrimp, scallions and celery and toss gently.
• Add mayo, dill, horseradish, salt and pepper.
• Mix well, but gently, and chill at least 3-4 hours, or overnight.
• Serve on soft, flakey rolls/bread/buns/croissants and ENJOY!