Holiday Seafood Salad

[kirra]

Holiday Seafood Salad

Ingredients:

6 slices baguette
3 cloves garlic, cut in half lengthwise, plus 2 cloves, thinly sliced
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
24 Prince Edward Island mussels
Juice of 1/2 lemon, lemon reserved
1 pound calamari, cleaned, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips, tentacles left whole
1/2 pound jumbo lump crab meat
1 two-pound lobster, steamed, chilled, shelled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and julienned
1 green pepper, roasted, peeled, and julienned
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 bunches chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns

Preparation:

Heat broiler or grill. Toast bread slices for 1 minute on each side. Rub one side of each slice with half of a garlic clove. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Add thinly sliced garlic, 1 cup white wine, 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and mussels. Cover, and cook until they are completely open, 3 to 4 minutes. Strain, and allow mussels to cool. Remove from shells, and discard.

Prepare an ice-water bath. In a 6-quart saucepan, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil with lemon juice and lemon half, the remaining 1/2 cup wine, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes. Plunge calamari into the boiling water and cook until just opaque, 25 to 45 seconds. Remove from water with a skimmer or slotted spoon; immediately plunge into ice-water bath to stop the cooking, and drain.

In a large, nonreactive bowl, combine the seafood, peppers, the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, the red-wine vinegar, chives, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with pink peppercorns and garlic toasts. Serves 6.