Shellfish Grill

Written by Rosemary Mantini | 15 July 2009

Oysters on the half-shell, mussels marinara, boiled lobster tails -- the traditional ways of preparing shellfish are fine … if you want to be traditional. But if you feel like shaking things up a bit, why not take a whole new approach? Except for perhaps shrimp, most people don’t put “grilling” and “shellfish” into the same sentence. Here’s your chance to impress your dinner companions with a shellfish feast cooked entirely on the barbecue.

Shellfish is so sweet and succulent on its own that you won’t even have to take time to marinate it, unless it’s to add some fresh herbs and drizzle on some olive oil. I’d say that barbecue sauce is definitely a no-no. Find yourself some fresh or frozen lobster tails (ideally two per person), and split them in half to ensure that they grill evenly. Shuck oysters, clams and mussels, and lay them on the hot grill. Dress them with a squeeze of lemon juice or chili sauce either as they cook or immediately after they come off the grill. Except for the lobster tails which take 7 to 10 minutes to cook through, all other shellfish will only take a couple of minutes until they reach that lip-smacking good point.

Sage-Buttered Lobster Tails