Seafood Feast Tips from a James Beard Award-Winning Chef

May 12, 2017

Learn how to turn out simple yet impressive-looking seafood dishes. Fox News's Lilian Huang Woo gets tips from James Beard Award-winning chef Tom Douglas, Weber Master Jamie Purviance and Chateau Ste Michelle head winemaker Bob Bertheau.

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GREEK SEAFOOD SALAD

A perforated grill pan is like a large sheet pan with little holes all over the surface. It allows you to cook small foods, such as green beans, tiny tomatoes, broccoli, or shellfish like shrimp and bay scallops, without losing them through the bars of the cooking grate. To ensure beautifully browned food, always preheat a grill pan, just as you do a cooking grate.

PREP TIME 20 MINUTES MARINATING TIME 20 TO 30 MINUTES GRILLING TIME 3 TO 5 MINUTES SERVES 6 DRESSING ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon minced garlic ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 pound small shrimp (36/45 count), peeled and deveined 1 pound bay scallops 5 medium tomatoes, cut into ½-inch-thick slices ½ cup pitted green olives, cut into halves or quarters ½ cup thinly sliced celery ¼ cup finely diced red onion 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1. In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients. In a large bowl combine the shrimp and scallops. Add ¼ cup of the dressing to the seafood and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining dressing. 2. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F). 3. Arrange the tomato slices on a serving platter. In a small bowl combine the olives, celery, and onion and mix well. Set aside.
  1. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the asparagus over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until browned in spots and crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. At the same time, grill the shrimp over direct medium heat until firm to the touch and just turning opaque in the center, 3 to 5 minutes, turning once. Remove the shrimp from the grill as they are ready and place in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice and toss to coat evenly. When the asparagus and shrimp are cool enough to handle, rush the cooking grates clean. Preheat a perforated grill pan over high heat. Drain the seafood in a fine-mesh strainer and discard the marinade. Spread the seafood in a single layer on the preheated grill pan and cook over direct high heat, with the lid closed, until slightly firm to the touch and just turning opaque in the center, 3 to 5 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove the pan from the grill and place it on a heatproof surface. Transfer the seafood to a large bowl to stop the cooking. 5. Spoon the seafood over the tomatoes. Scatter the olive mixture on top. Spoon the reserved dressing over the entire salad, coating it lightly (you may not need all of it). Garnish with the parsley. Serve at room temperature.
    GRILLED SHRIMP RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS
    
    Asparagus is one of our favorite grilled vegetables, especially with lemon and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top. Here we add creamy risotto and briny shrimp to that winning combination. PREP TIME 20 MINUTES, PLUS 30 TO 40 MINUTES FOR THE RISOTTO GRILLING TIME 6 TO 8 MINUTES
    
    SERVES 6 TO 8 1 pound asparagus Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt 18 extra-large shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and deveined 1 tablespoon lemon juice RISOTTO 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups Arborio rice ½ cup dry white wine ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano® cheese (about 2 ounces) 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves Freshly ground pepper 1. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).
    
    Snap the asparagus spears and discard the tough bases. Place the asparagus on a plate, drizzle with oil, and turn to coat. Season with salt. On another plate, brush the shrimp with oil and season lightly with salt.
    
    Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the asparagus over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until browned in spots and crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. At the same time, grill the shrimp over direct medium heat until firm to the touch and just turning opaque in the center, 3 to 5 minutes, turning once. Remove the shrimp from the grill as they are ready and place in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice and toss to coat evenly. When the asparagus and shrimp are cool enough to handle,
    
    cut them into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
    
    In a medium saucepan over high heat on the stove, bring the broth to a simmer. Keep warm over the lowest heat setting.
    
    In a medium saucepan over medium heat on the stove, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the oil. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt and sauté until the onion is softened but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the grains are coated with the butter mixture and turn opaque, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the wine and stir until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the warm broth and simmer until the rice has absorbed nearly all of the liquid, stirring occasionally. Add all the remaining broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring until nearly all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next addition, 25 to 30 minutes. At this point, the risotto should be creamy and the grains should be plump and tender, yet still firm to the bite. 6. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, ¼ cup of the cheese, the lemon zest and juice, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Fold in the asparagus, shrimp, parsley, and mint and season with pepper. Divide the risotto among individual bowls, garnish with the remaining ¼ cup cheese, dividing it evenly, and serve at once.

Tom Douglas Grilled Salmon Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets lemon pepper to taste garlic powder to taste salt to taste 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat grill for medium heat.

Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Tom Douglas Grilled salmon recipe directions "Pair with: Chateau Ste. Michelle Eroica Riesling"

Sake-steamed Sockeye Salmon with Sake Butter

1 stalk lemongrass, slip lengthwise

2 cups water

2 cups sake

10 fresh ginger coins sliced 1/8 inch thick

2 star anise pods

Peel of 1 orange

1 ½ pounds salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions

Sake Butter

1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

PREPARATION

Bruise lemongrass with back of a knife. Place it, with 2 cups of water, sake, ginger, star anise and orange peel in bottom of a steamer.

Butter steamer tray and lay salmon in it. Set tray in steamer.

Bring lemongrass mixture to a boil. Cover and steam salmon 4 to 5 minutes, until just cooked through. Serve with sake butter and lime wedges.

FOR SAKE BUTTER:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and shallot. Cover and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Add 1/2 cup sake and bring to a boil. Boil until liquid is reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 2 minutes. Whisk in butter bits one by one until creamy. Immediately remove from heat. Whisk in remaining sake, lime juice and salt to taste. Keep warm.

Whole Salmon on the Grill

(Stuffed with Sea Salt, Lemon and Onion)

Sea salt

1 whole salmon, about 4 pounds, gutted, rinsed, patted dry

½ medium onion, thinly sliced

½ lemon, thinly sliced

1 small bunch fennel fronds or fresh dill

All-purpose flour for dusting

Olive oil for brushing

Lemon wedges and fennel fronds or fresh dill for garnish

Sweet Fennel Butter, softened

1. Fire up the grill, with the coals lined up for direct heat about 5 to 6 inches below the fish. Sprinkle sea salt generously in the cavity of the fish and over the skin, then stuff cavity with onion, lemon and fennel or dill. Tie kitchen string around fish in 3 or 4 places to hold stuffing in. In between strings, make deep incisions with your knife through the thickest part of the fish on both sides, all the way down to the spine, so fish will cook more quickly and smoke flavor will get inside fish.

2. Lightly dust one side of fish with flour. Brush both floured sides of fish and the grate with oil, then place salmon on grill, floured side down. Once salmon is on grill, lightly dust other side with flour and brush with oil.

3. Grill salmon over medium-hot direct heat, with lid on and vents open. (Maintain heat at 300 degrees to 350 degrees.) When skin side facing the grill is nicely browned, after about 20 minutes, use two large spatulas to flip fish to other side. Slide spatula under fish in several places to detach skin from grill. Continue to grill until fish is just cooked through in the thickest part of the fish, about 10 to 20 minutes longer. Remove from grill, place on platter, cut off string, and let rest 10 minutes.

4. Garnish salmon with lemon wedges and fennel or dill. Put fennel butter in a small bowl and serve on the side.

"Pair with: Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Chardonnay"

From "Tom's Big Dinners" by Tom Douglas with Ed Levine, Shelley Lance and Jackie Cross