Scallops and Shrimp on the Grill

Scallops and Shrimp a Great Grill Combo

There is something special about shrimp and scallops. Sweet and bite-size, these gems of the sea are favorites we all crave. When these delicious foods are prepared on the grill, they are even better. The smoky flavor permeates the sweetness of the seafood, adding depth and complexity. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

Scallops and Shrimp Kabobs

This recipe is one of my favorites, because not only are the scallops and shrimp grilled, they are threaded on skewers of rosemary, which is one of my favorite barbecue herbs. Did you know you can actually use a branch of rosemary as a brush for your sauce?  Anyway, give this recipe a try and see if it doesn't become one of your favorites, too. Since you don't need a lot of shrimp or scallops, this dish is fairly economical, too.

Rosemary Scallops and Shrimp on the Grill

16 sprigs of fresh rosemary, approximately 5 or 6 inches in length
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil... have a little extra on hand for drizzling later
1 lemon for juice and zest
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons of finely chopped pink peppercorns
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
24 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined. Keep the tail of the shell on the shrimp.
16 large sea scallops
Grilled lemon wedges for garnish (this is optional)

Rinse the rosemary sprigs, then strip off the leaves from the bottom portion of the branch, leaving about 1-1/2 inches of leaves on the top. This creates skewers out of the rosemary sprigs. Chop up about a tablespoon of the removed leaves and put them in a small glass bowl. Save the rest for another recipe. In the glass bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, peppercorns and salt to the chopped rosemary.
Line up three shrimp side by side so the curved sides are touching. Skewer all three shrimp with a rosemary sprig. Repeat with seven more sprigs. Line up two scallops flat side down and side by side. Skewer both scallops with a rosemary sprig. Repeat with the remaining sprigs.

Line up the skewers on a baking sheet. Brush the shrimp and scallops with the olive oil mixture. Let the seafood marinate about 20 minutes at room temperature while the grill heats up.

Start your grill and bring it to a medium-high heat. Just before putting the seafood on the grill, brush the grate with some olive oil. Set the skewers directly on top of the hot grate and grill just long enough to cook through... about 2-1/2 to 3 minutes per side. If you are preparing the grilled lemon wedges, you can grill them at the same time as the seafood.

Remove the skewers from the grill onto a platter and drizzle them lightly with olive oil. Serve with grilled lemon wedges and a green salad for a light, summery meal.
Serves 8.