Scungilli Salad

     Once in awhile, I'll get a hint from Bryan on what he'd like to see on his dinner plate via an email with simply a recipe link. When scungilli salad landed in my inbox, it looked fairly straightforward and quick to make.  However, my next question was "Where can I find scungilli and heck, what is it?" Google always come to the rescue in moments like these: scungilli, or conch, are very large marine snails (not to be confused with escargot). To my surprise, none of my local gourmet grocers (Central Market and Trader Joe's) had it in stock.  I ended up buying it off of Amazon because I could use my Chase rewards, but you can also find it at Italy Depot for a little cheaper. 

     Once you have the scungilli in hand, the rest of the ingredients can be found at any grocery store, and the recipe itself is incredibly easy.  A warning- if you cannot do '"fishy," the immediate smell of the scungilli right out of a can may be overwhelming.  The good news is it actually tastes pretty neutral and is able to absorb the flavors surrounding it. 

Ingredients: 
16 ounces scungilli (canned)

2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (not curly!)
8 ounces sliced and pitted black olives (drained)
2 tablespoons of your best olive oil
1 lemon, juice of, and strained
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
red pepper flakes (for some kick)
1 garlic clove, chopped finely

The scungilli looks like mushrooms and has a similar texture. 

Steps:

1. Rinse the canned scungilli well (soak for a couple of seconds and then repeat one more time).
2. Take a medium mixing bowl. Add all the above ingredients; toss until mixed well.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and enjoy!

[recipe via Food.com]

     This is a great salad for the summer.  It's refreshing and has a lot of interesting texture going for it.  The scungilli is meaty, slightly chewy, and buttery and adds a nice balance to the crispness of the other ingredients.  If you're not into scungilli, I can easily see the salad being paired with fish or maybe avocado for a veggie option. I would reduce the red onions to 1/4 cup since they were overpowering at times.  I also doubled the celery to finish off my inventory, and it worked out just fine.  This salad makes a great conversation starter and would be the perfect starter course for a dinner party! If anyone gives it a go, let me know what you think!