Grilled Swordfish, Chili-Garlic Shrimp Kabobs and Cheesey Tin Taters

 

This week is just too beautiful to be relegated inside at the stove, so I used the opportunity to make my first kabobs of the year and try grilling my first swordfish EVER!  My two guests and I were all impressed, so I thought I'd share with you!  This recipe was the perfect amount for 3 people, leaving us thoroughly stuffed after a pretty healthy dinner (as long as you don't overdo the drawn butter dipping!).  I've adjusted the recipe here to feed 4, as that seems like a more frequent serving size.  I would definitely recommend eating outside though, as the peel-n-eat factor in the shrimp can be quite messy, but makes for a much more flavorful and moist product than using peeled shrimp.  I've separated out the recipes by item, but if you recreate the whole meal, I would recommend first getting your swordfish and shrimp in their marinades and returning to the fridge until ready to grill, and getting your potatoes on the grill at least 30 minutes before serving time on the top rack but not more than an hour.

*You will need PAM Olive Oil Spray (or your favorite EVOO mister/non-stick cooking spray) for all 3 dishes

For the Swordfish, You Will Need...

2 lbs swordfish steak 1" thick - look for the little strip of dark meat to have some red in it, all brown=bad

4 tbsp EVOO

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp spicy mustard

S & P

Serve with a remoulade sauce or cucumber-dill salsa!

Directions:

1.  Whisk together the bottom 5 ingredients and get your swordfish marinating in there.  Return to fridge if you aren't putting on the grill yet.  I would remove about 10 minutes before grilling.  The fish shouldn't be marinated any long than an hour or two in a covered dish. 

2.  Make sure you're grill is on Med High heat and fired up at least a few minutes prior to grilling.  Spray your grill grate with non-stick cooking spray and place your swordfish on there.  For 4 pre-cut, 1" servings, grill about 5 minutes per side.  A good rule of thumb with swordfish is about 10 minutes cooking time per inch of thickness (5 min per side), so adjust as needed.  This number may increase the larger the surface area as well.  I had about a 1.5 lb piece uncut, and it took closer to 17 minutes to cook fully.  You want it to cut easily with a fork and be white throughout.

*Tip: spray the grill again as you flip to avoid sticking.
*Tip: The meat closest to the skin and spot of dark meat are the most tender and yummy, although I have to admit, I'm still turned of by actually eating the dark meat!

For the Shrimp, You Will Need...

16 Tiger shrimp, deveined, but peels-in-tact (a little more than 1 lb, depending on size)

1 tbsp EVOO

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp chili garlic sauce (Sriracha makes a great one, small jar, lime-green top)

S & P

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika
2 large bell peppers (I used chunks of bell pepper)
Skewers

1 stick butter, sea salt, and 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning for drawn butter (optional)

Directions:

1.  Whisk together bottom 7 ingredients (not the butter, etc.) in a large bowl.  This marinade will be a little more paste-like than the swordfish marinade.
2.  Toss in your unpeeled shrimp until all pieces are well coated.  Use a spatula for this - the shells and legs can be sharp, and a spatula is gentle enough to keep them in tact.  Stick back in the fridge until you're ready to make your kabobs.  These can be marinated in a sealed bag or container up to a day ahead of time.  If within a couple hours of grill time, just covered in the fridge is fine.

3.  When ready to make kabobs, chop up your bell peppers into easy-to-skewer pieces and remove your shrimp from the fridge.  Spray with EVOO mister (or toss in EVOO) with sea salt and ground black pepper.

4.  Alternate your veggies and shrimp (about 4 per skewer) for pretty kabobs!
*Tip: If you're using wooden skewers, submerge in cold water a few minutes prior to threading your shrimp and veggies to keep the skewer from charring and breaking.

5.  Spray grill with nonstick cooking spray and and grill on Med High for about 3 minutes per side.  You'll know it's time to flip when the shells become marbled with a pinkish-white hue.

6.  If serving with "drawn" butter:  Chop up your butter and place into a glass measuring cup with pourer,  Melt in the microwave (about 1 minute).  Mix in your sea salt and Old Bay seasoning and pour into ramekins for each person.
7.  Serve your kabobs!  These should be eaten the same as peel-n-eat shrimp. Google if you've never tried this - and SHAME on you!

For the Cheesy Tin Taters, You Will Need....
1.5-2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, rinsed and diced with skins on
1.5 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 c shredded cheese
2 tsp crushed red pepper
S & P

tin foil (1 sq foot piece per person)

Directions:

1.  Mix together top 5 ingredients.

2.  Spray pieces of tin foil with nonstick cooking spray on one side.  Divide potato mixture among the pieces of foil. 

3.  Fold up tightly into packets and place on grill. I like to put the packets on the top rack, where you would put things to melt cheese or keep buns warm for a steaming effect.
4. Leave undisturbed about 30 minutes - longer is okay too, but not more than an hour.  Serve 1 packet per person when it's time to eat!