Chef Betulia shares holiday-ready Sicilian seafood salad

Do you ever wonder what some of the area’s best chefs cook at home? We’re taking readers behind the scenes as Southwest Florida’s top chefs share a favorite recipe from their own kitchens.

Vincenzo Betulia

Co-founder and Chef

Campagna Hospitality Group, Naples

Like many chefs, Vincenzo Betulia spends more time in his restaurant kitchens than in his home kitchen. But when the opportunity arises, he values the chance to create a special meal at home with his wife, Anna, and their sons — especially during the holidays.

Betulia came to Naples in 2000 and opened Osteria Tulia in 2012. Today, as part of the Campagna Hospitality Group, he also operates three other restaurants: Bar Tulia 5th Avenue, Bar Tulia Mercato and Tulia Italian Steak (formerly The French), along with Tulia Catering & Events. The company employs about 400 people at full capacity across its restaurants and catering operation, Betulia said.

Coming from a Sicilian family, Betulia learned to cook from his mother, grandmother and aunts, and many of their beloved recipes have found their way into his restaurants. The signature marinara sauce, he noted, is his mother’s recipe.

Betulia recalls the magic of the holidays growing up, and when it comes to a special holiday dish at home, he turns to his family’s recipe for Chilled Sicilian Seafood Salad (Insalata di Mare). He called the recipe easy to execute and noted that it can easily be scaled to feed a crowd, which is helpful since his mother’s family gatherings often ranged from 50 to 70 guests.

“My mother has five sisters, so they would each pick a holiday,” he recalls. “My mother would have Thanksgiving, one aunt would have Christmas Eve, another would have Christmas Day. One would have New Year’s Eve, and one would have New Year’s Day. And it was always surrounded with seafood, seafood, seafood, because that’s what we eat.”

The recipe for Betulia’s traditional Insalata di Mare calls for shrimp, calamari, scallops, mussels and clams, flavored with a poaching liquid of white wine, lemon, garlic, herbs and bay leaves. After poaching and cooling, the seafood is combined with fresh vegetables including celery, onion, red bell pepper, green or black olives and parsley. The zesty salad is finished with a red wine vinaigrette and Sicilian herbs.

Betulia recommended pairing the seafood salad with a chilled Sicilian white wine, such as Grillo, Inzolia or Catarratto. The dish can be served as a main course or “with a table full of other traditional items, such as panelle (Sicilian chickpea fritters), arancine (Sicilian rice balls), olives and cheese.”

“This is meant to be eaten out on the terrace with a crisp glass of wine and some crusty bread,” he suggests. 

Chilled Sicilian Seafood Salad 

Insalata di Mare

Serves: 4-6

Prep & cook time: ~1 hour + chilling

Ingredients

Poaching Liquid

1 cup dry white wine 

(Sicilian Grillo, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)

4 cups water

1 lemon, halved

2-3 garlic cloves, smashed

2-3 bay leaves

5-6 black peppercorns

1 tsp salt

Seafood

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 lb calamari, cut into rings (tentacles left whole)

1/2 lb scallops

1/2 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1/2 lb small clams (e.g., littlenecks or cockles), 

scrubbed clean

Salad Vegetables

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1red bell pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup green or black olives, halved

3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing

(Red Wine Vinaigrette with Sicilian Herbs)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1-2 garlic cloves, minced finely

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Juice of ½ lemon (optional, for brightness)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

(Optional) pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions

1.Prepare the poaching liquid. In a large pot, combine white wine, water, lemon halves, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat completely — the liquid should be hot but not bubbling. This gentle heat will poach the seafood delicately, keeping it tender and flavorful.

2.Poach the seafood (in stages, separately). Each type of seafood has a different ideal cooking time — careful, separate cooking prevents overcooking and keeps textures distinct, so poach them one at a time in the hot, nonboiling liquid:

● Mussels and clams: Add first, cover and let steep 6-8 minutes until shells open. Remove with tongs (discard any that don’t open). Keep a few in shell for garnish and remove the rest from their shells.

● Shrimp: Add next, poach about 1-2 minutes, until pink and opaque. Transfer immediately to an ice bath.

● Calamari: Add rings and tentacles, poach 1-2 minutes, just until tender. Transfer to ice bath.

● Scallops: Add last, poach 2-3 minutes, until opaque and just firm. Transfer to ice bath. 

3.Drain and cool. Once all seafood is poached and chilled, drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

4.Combine salad ingredients. In a large bowl, combine celery, red bell pepper, onion, olives and parsley.

Add all the cooled seafood and toss gently to mix.

5. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, lemon juice (if using), salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (optional). Taste and adjust seasoning.

6.Toss and chill. Pour the dressing over the seafood and vegetables and toss gently until evenly coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 6 hours) so flavors meld beautifully.

7. Serve chilled, garnished with parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a few mussels or clams in their shells for presentation. Pairs perfectly with crusty bread and a chilled Sicilian white wine, such as Grillo, Inzolia or Catarratto. 

Notes & Chef’s Tips

• Turning off the heat before adding seafood ensures gentle poaching — no boiling, no rubbery texture.

• Cooking each type separately guarantees perfect doneness and preserves their individual flavors.

• Use good olive oil and real Sicilian oregano if you can — they make a big difference.

• The salad improves after a few hours in the fridge as the seafood absorbs the dressing.