Rack M Nation: Seafood On The Grill!

I freaking love seafood. I mean seriously, its the best stuff on earth. Shell fish, fresh water fish, salt water fish, sushi, squid, mmmmmmmm. I want it all IN MUH MOUTH! After a few seafood related discussions this week I figured why the heck not have a good seafood grilling talk.

As with every other kind of cooking, any time meat is involved you want to make sure you are getting good quality and the freshest (if possible) meat you can find. Having a butcher, grocer (Hen House in the KC Northland is quite good I hear), local fish market or internet provider is HUGE. If you're super lucky like blackfin you're out there grabbing your fish right outta the water all summer long.

Just like BBQ, there are 100 different ways to prepare your seafood on the grill. You can straight grill it over the coals, you can use a basket (which I've been using lately to grill peppers before I turn em into salsa!), you can use wood grilling planks and you can smoke em. I feel like Bubba after listing those off. The biggest thing to remember is find good food, cook it properly and don't over season it.

Fish!

Regular fish cuts, filets or steaks, can be quite difficult to handle on a grill. I will almost always use either a grill basket or the wood planks for fish. Depending on the flavor profile you are looking for you can choose which you'd like. A rich fish like salmon really doesn't need much else so the wood is cool but not necessary. I like tuna or a catfish on the cedar plank with some garlic salt, pepper and maybe a dash of citrus. If you are using the basket you just wanna use high heat and flip your meat (ha) once. If the planks just let it cook like you would in the oven.

Here are a few good fish recipes from around the interwebs:

Lemon Pepper Catfish

Hallibut Steaks

Bacon Wrapped Smoked Trout, yes please!

Shellfish!

Now my mouth is seriously watering. We are getting into dangerous territory here. I'm sure everyone has grilled a shrimp kabob. Shrimp, crabs and lobsters are just so good and really so easy to prepare properly I'm not even going to wax poetic about how amazing they are, if you don't like em then you are a terrible person. If you're allergic, that seriously blows, I'm sorry for your soul.

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Stuffed Shrimp

Amazing Ribs: Greg's Grilled Lobster - TONS of great info on lobsters over all here.

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp PoBoy

Crab Legs Just For Mrs. BGTD

Emeril's Grilled Soft Shell Crabs - I looooooove soft shell crab sandwiches.

Clams!

Clams, oysters, mussels and all the like are certainly an acquired taste. It really took me a dozen times of trying different types at different places to wrap my head around what I liked and what was good. Man am I glad I kept trying. I've been able to cook up some seriously legit oysters and mussels at home.

Grilled Clams

Emeril's Grilled Oysters - These look fully off the chain.

Breaded Grilled Mussels - For all you winos out there, NOTHING goes better with white wine that freaking seafood, especially oysters and mussels.

Ok kiddos, that should be enough to get you all started. If you have a favorite grilled seafood recipe, please share with us. I need a reason to buy more at the butcher next time and keep on grillin!