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Patsy's Italian Restaurant Chef Shows Off Insalata Di Frutti Di Mare

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Sal Scognamillo has been in the kitchen of Patsy's Italian Restaurant in Midtown for over 35 years. The only other chefs at the restaurant have been his father Joe and his grandfather Pasquale "Patsy" Scaognamillo, for whom the restaurant is named.

Thanks to Sal, Patsy's Italian Restaurant has expanded into jarred sauce which can be bought across the country. Sal has also written two cookbooks.

LINK: Patsy's Italian Restaurant

The restaurant remains a family business, with Sal's wife serving as business manager and general counsel, and their son Joe as dining room manager.

Here's Sal's recipe for Insalata di Frutti di Mare.

Makes 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound calamari, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch rings
  • 8 jumbo (21/25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 and 1/2 pounds octopus, cooked, chilled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 29 ounce can ready-to-eat scungilli, drained, rinsed and chilled
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 celery ribs, cut in to 1/2 inch dice
  • 24 pitted kalamata olives, coarsley chopped

Preparation

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the calamari and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until tender. Using a wire strainer, transfer the calamari to a large bowl of iced water.

Add the shrimp to the water and cook just until they turn opaque and firm, about four minutes. Drain in a colander and transfer to the bowl with the calamari. Let stand until they cool, about 15 minutes. Drain again and pat dry with paper towels.

Whisk the lemon juice, garlic and basil in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Added the cooked calamari and shrimp with the octopus, scungilli, tomatoes, celery and olives. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until lightly chilled, about 30 minutes. Serve cold.

 

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