Forty Cloves

Frutti di Mare on the Grill

 
    Okay, I'm not one to brag (well, not much!) but this dish has become sort of a signature dish for me. If there's a holiday, special occasion, potluck, or any type of summer gathering, I'm usually asked to make this Frutti di Mare on the grill. It is, actually, a recipe that my friend, Caitlin, shared with me years ago. She, too, is constantly asked to make it.

    It is a perfect dish for entertaining because the entire thing can be prepped ahead of time, covered with tin foil and kept in an aluminum pan in the fridge. When the guests arrive, the entire pan goes onto the grill. After 15-20 minutes, the mussels and clams open and the shrimp turn nice and pink. The juices from the seafood, along with the wine, olive oil, grape tomatoes and herbs form a wonderful broth, so don't forget the bread.

     I made it last Father's Day (in fact, I make it every Father's Day) and, just as it came off of the grill, my father in law received a call on his cell phone. He stepped away to take the call and, by the time he returned 10 minutes later, there was nothing left. Two pounds of mussels, two pounds of clams, 16 jumbo shrimp and a loaf of Italian bread - gone! This year, he made sure not to stray too far from the table until after the Frutti di Mare was served.

    I love to serve it on its own, as an appetizer. Caitlin loves to serve it as a main course, over linguini (the broth makes an incredible sauce). Whichever way you choose to make it, be prepared - you will be asked to make it again and again.  But you will also earn major bragging rights.

Frutti di Mare on the Grill

2 lbs. mussels, cleaned

2 lbs. clams, cleaned

16-24 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/3 c. olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 shallots, sliced thinly

1 pint grape tomatoes

2 lemons, sliced

1 Tbsp. salt

ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup chopped basil

Preheat the grill until hot.

Place seafood in a large, aluminum pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, white wine, shallots, salt and pepper. Pour over the seafood. Top seafood with the grape tomatoes, lemon slices and fresh herbs, then cover with aluminum foil. Place the pan onto the grill and allow to cook for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until the mussels and clams open and the shrimp turn pink), stirring occasionally. Remove pan from grill and serve.

 

Grilled Shrimp Skewers over Fennel Puree

 
     Our deck has been power-washed and freshly stained, the outdoor furniture cleaned and set out, the grill tank filled with gas and the fridge stocked with a few bottles of rose´. Summer has, officially, begun.

    One of the many things I love about summer is the ease of preparing meals. Not much planning, prepping or cooking time is required to make a meal on the grill, not to mention the fact that grilling is, generally, pretty healthy. Just about any meat, fish or vegetable can be grilled, and little more than olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs is needed to make it sing.  And then there are the skewers - I still haven’t figured out why placing things on a stick makes them taste better, but I’m convinced that it does.  If it can be skewered, I’m all over it – no piece of meat, no cherry tomato, no chunk of…anything, really, is safe.

    Because grilling is so easy and so good, we tend to do a lot of it (like, almost every night) and so, I’m always looking for ways to keep it interesting. One way I fancy things up is to put something on top of whatever I’ve grilled - a salsa or chutney. Another way is to put something beneath it - a salad, grain of some sort, or  vegetable puree.

    Since fennel pairs so well with seafood, a fennel puree is the perfect base for grilled shrimp. The pink shrimp (skewered, of course) sitting on top of the creamy white puree look gorgeous, and the sweetness of the fennel complements the tart lemon and garlic flavor of the shrimp beautifully.

    Add to that a green salad, a glass of rose´ and a comfy deck chair and you’ve got the makings of a ‘welcome summer’ dinner.  Happy June!

 

Fennel Puree

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, core removed and thinly sliced (chop and reserve some of the fronds for garnish)

¼ cup water

½ tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper (about 12 grinds of the peppermill)

Combine butter and oil in a medium pot, on medium heat. When the butter melts completely, add the fennel slices and toss them so that they are evenly coated with the butter and oil. Add the water and reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes. When done, put the fennel, along with the liquid in the pot, into the blender. Add the salt and pepper, and puree until smooth.

Makes about 2 cups of puree.

**Note –this reheats beautifully, so it can be made in advance and heated up when ready to serve**

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. paprika

Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 Tbsp.)

Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 Tbsp.)

1 tsp. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper (about 12 grinds of the peppermill)

12 – 20 large shrimp

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, paprika, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pup the shrimp into the marinade and toss until well coated. Let shrimp marinate for about 20 minutes.  In the meantime, heat the grill. When the shrimp are done marinating, skewer them  and grill for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Serve by placing skewers on top of the fennel puree and sprinkling with the reserved fennel fronds.

Serves 2-4 (depending on size of shrimp and size of appetite!)