With Memorial Day coming up, I wanted to share two of my favorite seafood dishes for the grill. My philosophy about sharing recipes is to provide ingredients and basic techniques for others to use as a guideline. From there, you can customize your cooking to make the dish your own by incorporating your favorite flavors and can’t-live-without ingredients.
Simple Grilled Swordfish:
Swordfish is a phenomenal grill fish. I like to refer to it as a “fish steak,” as it is a strong meaty protein. Because It can take the heat, you can create beautiful grill marks.
Ingredients:
8 oz 1 inch thick swordfish steaks
For Marinade:
2 cups – Olive oil
2 cloves – Garlic (minced)
8 leaves – Basil (rough chopped)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Method:
For the best flavor, marinate the fish overnight – can also be done 2 hours ahead.
Make sure your grill is hot. Place the fish directly on the grill for 3 minutes. Turn the fish clockwise to create your grill marks – it should be about a quarter of a turn. Cook for 3 more minutes. Flip and repeat the grill marks cooking technique on this side as well.
Plating:
Serve your swordfish steaks with a side of grilled vegetables such as zucchini, squash or red bell peppers. A simple salad of sliced red onion and beef steak tomatoes tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper would also go well.
Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers:
Crustacean kebabs are a fun and crafty way to grill shrimp. Feel free to substitute your favorite vegetables or fruits, but try to keep it tropical. I recommend mango or papaya.
Ingredients:
U-12 shrimp – Peeled and deveined
Pineapple – cubed into bite sized pieces
Cherry tomatoes
Ponzu Sauce – or your favorite sauce (teriyaki is a good go-to)
Wooden skewers
Salt and Pepper to taste
Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 2 hours to prevent burning.
Take your cleaned shrimp and stick them onto the skewers alternating with your other ingredients. I like to line them up in this order: Shrimp, pineapple, tomato then repeat.
Salt and pepper the kebabs and place them on the grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the shrimp are white. Baste with the ponzu.
Serve with your favorite picnic sides.
