This is inspired by a simple but wonderful seafood salad I cooked in Sri Lanka using blue river prawns and squid. I’ve included a wider range here.

Timings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves

4

Ingredients

• 150g live mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 250g cuttlefish, cleaned and cut into rough 2cm squares
• 4 scallops, shucked
• a handful of sea beet, sea aster or samphire
• 4 oysters, shucked but still in the shell

For the dressing

• 1 red chilli, finely chopped, seeds and all
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 100ml olive or rapeseed oil
• 25ml cider vinegar

Method

1. Put the mussels in a pan with 100ml water, cover and cook over a high heat for a few minutes until all the shells have opened. Discard any that do not. 
2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a plate, then add the cuttlefish and scallops to the liquid and cook for a minute, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and transfer the seafood to a separate plate, reserving the liquid.
3. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, return to the pan and simmer until you have about 1 tbsp left. Whisk this together with the dressing ingredients in a bowl, and season.
4. Blanch the seashore vegetables in boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain and refresh under the tap.
5. Remove the mussels from their shells and add to the dressing with the scallops and cuttlefish. Arrange on plates with the seashore vegetables, spoon over any remaining dressing and top with an oyster.