Seafood Antipasto Alla Venezia August 17, 2009

Ingredients

• 2 bunches Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/2 cup
• 1 tablespoon hot chili flakes
• Juice and zest of 4 lemons
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound crab meat
• 1 small (1 pound) lobster
• 6 small calamari, cleaned and gutted
• 6 large mussels, bearded and scrubbed
• 6 small razor clams, bearded and scrubbed
• 6 large clams, bearded and scrubbed

Instructions

1. Bring 6 quarts water to boil and set up ice bath.
   
   Cook shrimp for 1 1/2 minutes and plunge into ice bath. Cook calamari 1 minute and do the same. Cook lobster for 8 minutes and then cool in ice bath.
   
   In a large saute pan, place mussels and clams with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover and steam, removing each shellfish as it opens until they are all done. Discard those shellfish which do not open. Keeping each open shellfish separate, dress each individually with 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, a touch of lemon juice, a pinch of chilies and 1 to 2 tablespoons parsley. Do the same with the crab meat. Arrange all the seafood on a big platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.