Chef Todd Leonard compiled tips for essential grilling success. Starting with heat and moving onto flavour, you’ll find success following his tips. Read on to learn more grilling basics!
First of all, understand the heat! Grilling is a dry heat cooking method. The taste of the grill we love so much comes from the charcoal or the caramelisation of the product. It is crucial to pick the meats to be grilled. The fat will melt as the dry heat cooks the meat.
Next, master the 3 Basics of Marinating which involve flavour, acidity and fat. And at the end of the process, perfection with finishing techniques. Generally, all meats need to be completed with a flavourful liquid at the end of cooking to assist in maintaining the meat moist and shiny.
If you know how to grill using a perfect heat, you can make all these delightful dishes: accessible ingredients + simple skills = irresistible meals.
And we are sure this fantastic Grilled Gala will spark your taste buds.
Ingredients (2 servings):
- Lobster Tail split in half – 1 each
- Shrimp 8/12 (Shell on) marinated with Cajun rub – 6 each
- Calamari (marinated in lemon parsley, extra virgin olive oil, shallot, garlic) – 4 tubes
- Scallops (preferably diver caught scallops and skewered)
- Halibut (cut into cubes and skewered) – 4 each
- Salmon (cut into cubes and skewered) – 4 oz
- Clams – 4 oz
- Mussels – 6 each
- Tarragon butter
- Paella Style Rice – 3 oz
- Canola Oil – plate garnish
- Salt and Pepper – for rubbing to taste and season
Directions:
- Rub all non-marinated fish with oil, season with salt and pepper.
- When the grill is temp 500 degrees +, position the clams and the mussels on the grill, accompanied by the lobster flesh and the Cajun shrimps.
- When you’re about to turn over the contents on the grill (about 2 min), place the skewers of scallops, salmon and halibut on the hot side of the grill. Place the skewers down an angle against the grill to try and score the diamond marks.
- Turn the contents on the grill over three times to try to keep the presentation.
- Calamari cooks quickly within 5 minutes. Identify when your items are close to being finished, so that all products finish relatively within a minute of each other. Place the calamari on the grill when the products are at that stage. (They tend to curl quickly when placed on the grill)
- Place the rice in the middle of the platter and start putting the seafood on top of the rice. Remove the skewers from the fish for presentation. When you place the lobster on the rice, make sure the flesh is up and place the tarragon butter on the meat to start melting.
- Garnish with crowns of lemon around the plate.