Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, cut into thick slices
- 1/2 cup (125 ml/4 fl oz) lemon juice
- 8 baby squid hoods, cut into thick rings, then halved
- 800 g (1 lb 10 oz) raw medium prawns
- 1 kg (2 lb) black mussels
- 1 kg (2 lb) fresh baby clams (vongole) or pipis
- 1/3 cup (80 ml/2 3/4 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- baby spinach leaves, for serving, optional
Method
1. Place the garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside for 1 hour. Remove the garlic and discard. (This infuses the lemon juice with the garlic flavour.)
2. Cook the squid in a pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove the squid.
3. Cook the prawns in the same water for 2 minutes, or until pink and cooked through. Drain and cool slightly, then peel and pull out the dark vein from each prawn back, starting at the head end.
4. Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush and pull out the hairy beards. Discard any broken mussels, or open ones that don't close when tapped on the bench. Rinse well. Scrub the clams. Cook the mussels and clams in separate pans with 1 cup (250 ml/8 fl oz) water in each pan. Cover and steam for about 4-5 minutes, until the shells open. Discard any shells that do not open. Allow to cool slightly. Remove the mussels and clams from their shells.
5. Combine the seafood with the garlic-infused lemon juice, olive oil and parsley, then season with salt and cracked black pepper. Allow to stand for 15 minutes at room temperature, before serving. Can be served on a bed of baby spinach leaves.
