Scungilli Salad (Italian Conch Salad)
Scungilli Salad, a.k.a., Italian conch salad, is traditionally 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.
Servings: 8 servings
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; either homemade or store-bought)
- 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.
