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Scungilli Salad, a.k.a., Italian conch salad, is a traditional recipe made for Christmas Eve dinner (La Vigilia di Natale) by many Italian Americans during the annual Feast of the Seven Fishes. The mild and chewy seafood is combined with crispy celery, fennel, bell pepper and onion along with briny olives, pickled cherry peppers and fresh parsley, then tossed in a simple lemon olive oil dressing. It’s so light and summery that you should actually be making this recipe all year long! The best part? No. Cooking Required. Read on for more.
Have you ever tried scungilli (pronounced scoon-jee-lee)? While not a seafood that’s generally in high demand, it continues to be a staple for many east coast Italian-American families at Christmas time for the Feast of the Seven Fishes, especially those living in the Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City-metropolitan areas. In fact, most people don’t even know what scungilli is outside of these areas.
So, What is Scungilli and What Does It Taste Like?
The word “scungilli” is derived from the Italian word “conchiglia”, meaning shell, and the Neapolitan word “sconsiglio”, meaning conch. It’s a term used to refer to the meat from a sea conch or whelk, a type of large sea snail with a large spiraling shell. But, scungilli is technically a type of whelk, not a conch.
It’s popular in southern Italian and Italian-American cuisines as well as in places like the United Kingdom and the Caribbean, where conch fritters are common. As scungilli absorbs the flavors of accompanying ingredients well, you’ll also see it paired with pasta in a scungilli marinara or fra diavolo sauce. But, it’s most well known in seafood salads like this recipe.
Scungilli has a mild, sweet delicate and slightly briny flavor with a texture similar to perfectly cooked calamari–tender and firm, slightly dense and chewy.
Italian Scungilli Salad
Back in the day, freshly made Scungilli Salad was readily available at Italian seafood markets and delis year-round. But these days not so much.
I think it’s time to bring scungilli back! If you love seafood and shellfish, you’ll most likely love scungilli as well.
This Italian seafood recipe is the best way to enjoy scungilli, in my humble opinion. The pleasantly chewy meat is tossed with lots of crisp, colorful vegetables, olives and pickled cherry peppers in a light extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice dressing. Like this Baccala Salad, it’s a cool and light salad that you’ll find yourself craving all year long, not just at the holidays!
And, since it’s made with already cooked and sliced canned scungilli, making this recipe is a breeze and takes about 15 minutes. So easy! If you love seafood, don’t hesitate to include this Italian conch salad recipe on your Christmas Eve table this year.
Be sure to round out your menu with some classic Italian-inspired antipasti like baked artichoke hearts oreganata, peperonata with olives and capers, roasted peppers or fried peppers, Sicilian caponata, marinated mushrooms, , or mint and vinegar-infused zucchini a scapece. And, don’t forget to make some olio santo chili oil as well to pass around the table. Mangia bene!
Ingredients
To make this Italian scungilli salad recipe, we’ll need:
- Scungilli (canned): While scungilli is sometimes available fresh or frozen (depending on where you live), I use precooked, canned, sliced scungilli in this recipe for convenience and consistency. I used petite scungilli in this recipe, but the regular size (i.e., original scungilli) works perfectly as well! You might just need/want to slice the pieces down a bit. I always use La Monica brand which can generally be found in the grocery aisles near other canned fish. You can also order it online.
- Celery, Fennel and Red Bell Pepper: Add freshness, crunch, visual appeal and a crisp texture which complements chewy scungilli.
- Onion: I like to use raw red onion in this recipe, which is my go-to onion for salads. It has both color (adding visual appeal) and a great sweet, pungent flavor that works well with the other ingredients.
- Parsley: Use chopped flat-leaf (a.k.a. Italian) parsley for flavor, color and a touch of herby brightness.
- Olives: Add brininess, salt and lots of flavor. I used Sicilian Castelvetrano olives (green) and black, oil-cured olives in this recipe. You can use your favorite olives. Capers can also be used if you’re a fan.
- Pickled Cherry Peppers: While not traditional in this salad, I love the flavor, brininess and texture that pickled cherry peppers add. Use hot or sweet–whatever your preference.
- Lemon Juice and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Scungilli Salad is seasoned very simply. Use a really great, extra virgin olive oil in this recipe–it makes all the difference! And, freshly-squeezed lemon juice should be used for best results. I find that the bottled stuff has a strange taste.
How to Make Scungilli Salad
This Italian seafood salad recipe is so easy to make! Since our main ingredients is pre-cooked and canned, there is no cooking necessary! Here’s how to make it:
- First, open the can of scungilli and pour all contents into a large strainer or colander. Then, rinse well under cold running water. Set the scungilli aside to continue to drain as you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- PRO-TIP: If there are any large pieces of scungilli, slice them smaller for uniformity.
- Then, prep and gather all ingredients.
- PRO-TIP: As for vegetable cuts, you can use whatever size and shape you want. I gave my recommendations below.
- Place the drained scungilli in a large mixing bowl, then add all of the remaining ingredients and gently mix until all ingredients are incorporated and coated with the olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- PRO-TIP: For increased lemon flavor, add some lemon zest. Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing them!
- Let the salad sit for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop, give it a stir, then it’s ready to enjoy!
More Recipes for the Feast of the Seven Fishes
If you like this Scungilli Salad, here are some more seafood and fish recipes to round out your Christmas Eve menu:
- Baccala Livornese in Tomato Sauce with Potatoes
- Crispy Baked Calamari (No Frying Required!)
- Italian Salt Cod Fritters
- Stoccafisso ~ Baked (Air Dried) Cod, a.k.a., Stockfish
- Linguine with Clams in a Red Sauce
- Mussels Marinara in Red Sauce (Zuppa di Mussels)
- Baked Stuffed Clams Oreganata
- Shrimp Oreganata in White Wine Lemon Butter
- Clams Posillipo in Red Sauce (Zuppa di Clams)
- Spaghetti and Crabs
- Calamari, Potato and Peas
- Calamari Ragu Fra Diavolo with Bucatini
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta with Arugula
- Spicy Garlic Shrimp
- Spicy Sautéed Calamari (Not Fried)
Frequently Asked Questions
I always buy pre-cooked, canned scungilli, which I find in the grocery store aisle along with other canned seafood (like clams) or in the international foods aisle. But not all supermarkets carry it. The conch brand that I use, La Monica Foods, is also available online. I used petite scungilli in this recipe, but the regular size (i.e., original scungilli) works perfectly as well! You might just need/want to slice the pieces down a bit.
FYI, most canned varieties include several species of sea snails in addition to the whelk most often associated with scungilli.
Italian specialty stores will also likely carry it. If you see it, buy it! Even if you don’t plan to use it right away, it’s a canned, shelf-stable product and can be held for awhile before using.
Also, although rarer, some places sell raw, shelled, frozen scungilli/conch/whelk meat, which will need to be thawed and then cooked.
Finally, you may be able to find live whelks at your fish market if you live in an area where they’re routinely fished (such as spots in Maine or Massachusetts), but there is a process to clean and cook them. (See next question.)
I don’t recommend fresh scungilli in this salad recipe. The beauty of this recipe is that it is so easy and quick to make with the high-quality canned product and no cooking is required! Plus, the canned product is reliably tender.
If you get fresh welks/conch, you’ll have your work cut out for you. You have to purge them of their waste, which is generally a two-day process. Then, you will have to cook, shuck and slice them. Here’s a video that shows you how to prepare and cook them.
No, scungilli is different from calamari and squid. It’s a gastropod or sea snail which is commonly known as Atlantic conch, murex, or welk. Scungilli are the larger version of the welk, sometimes called channeled or knobbed welk, and often caught off of Long Island Sound, Cape Cod, and Peconic Bay.
However, like calamari, you should cook conch very quickly so that it does not get rubbery.
TOP TIPS FOR SCUNGILLI SALAD
- Scungilli: I used petite scungilli in this Italian conch salad recipe, but the regular size (i.e., original scungilli) works perfectly as well! You might just need/want to slice the pieces down a bit. I always use La Monica brand which can generally be found in the grocery aisles near other canned fish. You can also order it online.
- Dressing: Use a really great, extra virgin olive oil in this recipe–it makes all the difference! Also, freshly-squeezed lemon juice should be used for best results. I find that the bottled stuff has a strange taste. For increased lemon flavor, add some lemon zest. Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing them!
- Make in Advance: I love making and serving this dish after letting it sit for 30 minutes because all the vegetables will be their crispiest. But, the salad gets incrementally better as it sits and all of the flavors marry and marinate. Making it up to one day in advance of serving is fine. Be sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
- If you plan on making this recipe one day in advance of serving, I suggest adding the onions about 30 minutes before serving as they tend to break down and become translucent after sitting in dressing for awhile.
- Recipe Variations: You can make this recipe as simple or as complex as you’d like. At a minimum, I suggest celery and parsley in addition to the fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and seasonings. But, the other ingredients add additional flavor, texture and color to the recipe (and also result in a larger yield!). Sometimes, I will even add artichoke hearts, capers or anchovies to this dish! I generally don’t use raw garlic in this recipe as it tends to overpower the other ingredients. But, nutty roasted garlic or mild garlic confit would be perfect here!
- Serving Suggestions: Serve this Italian scungilli salad recipe in any number of ways. Make it part of an antipasto platter, an entrée salad over a light bed of mixed greens or arugula (or with a Caesar salad!), with a cup of soup or traditionally as part of the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes meal. You might be surprised at how much you like this dish and want to make it all year long! It’s also a great first course for other Italian dishes like lasagna, baked ziti, steak pizzaiola or chicken cutlets.
- Leftovers: It’s best to enjoy this conch salad within 3 days of making it for optimal freshness.
More Great Recipes to Try
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If you’ve tried this Scungilli Recipe/Italian Conch Salad Recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Scungilli Salad (Italian Conch Salad)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (29-ounce) can scungilli (sliced conch) (See NOTES.)
- ¾ cup thinly sliced celery (about 1 large stalk)
- ¾ cup thinly sliced (cored) fennel
- ¾ cup thinly sliced red onion (can use green onion)
- ¾ cup medium (1/2”) diced red bell pepper (raw)
- ½ cup mixed, pitted green and black olives, rough chopped or sliced (See NOTES.)
- ½ cup lightly chopped, pickled cherry peppers (seeded, sweet or hot)
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- To Taste salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
Instructions
- RINSE & DRAIN: Open the can of scungilli and pour all contents into a large strainer or colander. (Don’t use the juice from the can–discard it.) Then, rinse well under cold running water. Sometimes I will also let the scungilli soak in cold water for a couple minutes, then I rinse and repeat this. Shake the strainer or colander a couple times, then let it stand for a few minutes, allowing as much water to drain off as possible. Set the scungilli aside to continue to drain as you prepare the remaining ingredients.(Please see the section above in the blog post forStep-By-Step instructions with photos.)1 (29-ounce) can scungilli (sliced conch)
- PREP: Prep and gather all ingredients according to the specifications above. If there are any large pieces of scungilli, slice them smaller for uniformity.
- MIX: Place the drained scungilli in a large mixing bowl, then add all of the remaining ingredients and gently mix until all ingredients are incorporated and coated with the olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.¾ cup thinly sliced celery, ¾ cup thinly sliced (cored) fennel, ¾ cup thinly sliced red onion, ¾ cup medium (1/2”) diced red bell pepper, ½ cup mixed, pitted green and black olives,, ½ cup lightly chopped, pickled cherry peppers, ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, To Taste salt and freshly ground black pepper, Pinch crushed red pepper
- REST & SERVE: Let the salad sit for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop, give it a stir, then it’s ready to enjoy! Serve in any number of ways. Make it part of an antipasto platter, an entrée salad over a light bed of mixed greens or arugula, with a cup of soup or traditionally as part of the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes meal. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- This recipe makes about 6 cups salad. I figured about ¾ cup serving per person, but adjust accordingly.
- I used petite scungilli in this recipe, but the regular size (i.e., original scungilli) works perfectly as well! You might just need/want to slice the pieces down a bit. I always use La Monica brand which can generally be found in the grocery aisles near other canned fish. You can also order it online.
- I used Sicilian Castelvetrano olives (green) and black, oil-cured olives in this recipe. You can use your favorite olives.
- Use a really great, extra virgin olive oil in this recipe–it makes all the difference!
- Freshly-squeezed lemon juice should be used for best results. I find that the bottled stuff has a strange taste. For increased lemon flavor, add some lemon zest. Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing them!
- You can make this recipe as simple or as complex as you’d like. At a minimum, I suggest celery and parsley in addition to the fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and seasonings. But, the other ingredients add additional flavor, texture and color to the recipe (and also result in a larger yield!). Sometimes, I will even add artichoke hearts, capers or anchovies to this dish! I generally don’t use raw garlic in this recipe as it tends to overpower the other ingredients. But, nutty roasted garlic or mild garlic confit would be perfect here!
- As for vegetable cuts, you can use whatever size and shape you want. I gave my recommendations above and you can also see the cuts in the ingredient photo above.
- I love making and serving this dish after letting it sit for 30 minutes because all the vegetables will be their crispiest. But, the salad gets incrementally better as it sits and all of the flavors marry and marinate. Making it up to one day in advance of serving is fine. Be sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes and give it a good stir before serving.
- NOTE: If you plan on making this recipe one day in advance of serving, I suggest adding the onions about 30 minutes before serving as they tend to break down and become translucent after sitting in dressing for awhile.
- It’s best to enjoy this salad within 3 days of making it for optimal freshness.
This salad is so delicious!! My family said “why have you been holding out on us with this salad!” If you can chop you can make this. It will be a hit! I bought the baby scungilli per the recommendation and they were so tender. (( ordered a can from Amazon!) No leftovers to speak of 🙂 Thanks Michele!
This makes me so happy, Stephanie! I agree that this is the easiest-of-all-easy recipes! Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂