Thirteen Grilled Seafood Recipes for Your Summer BBQ

For many years, while Mom worked as a volunteer at a local thrift shop, we would plan at least a couple of cookouts at the Lady N’s house. Her home was comically small, narrow and a living nightmare for the claustrophobic.

The basement was unfinished and, as it was not their property, it was a bit of a disaster area. The owners did not mind them using the backyard, but they also did not make access a priority.

Your choice to reach what was essentially a secret garden, tucked under nothing but sky (and part of the elevated highway), was to take your life in your hands climbing down stairs and jumping over exposed beams to make it into a verdant little oasis, complete with wild flowers that seemed like pure fantasy.

The Lady N had two boys who thought this was much too much trouble, so they put a ladder up to the top floor, and leaned against the outside wall of the house, and they’d go out of their kitchen window and down some 40 or 50 feet.

You had to pick the lesser of your fears: confined spaces or heights.

In the garden, it always felt cool (sometimes with the aid of giant fans). The fence, covered in ivy and tall wild grass, provided complete privacy. A large tree shaded us from the sun during daylight hours. In the evenings, fireflies illuminated sections of the garden, like dozens of little faeries watching over us.

We’d always have music, plenty of food and booze, and we’d spend hours lounging, laughing, dancing, eating, and communing.

The menus were international, extensive, fun and sophisticated. We grilled the requisite chicken, and burgers and hot dogs for the boys. Once the kids were fed, surprising items appeared.

While ribs and steaks make for great grilled foods, as do a variety of vegetables, fish and seafood are largely ignored in the North American cookout.

It can be prohibitive in cost if you have many mouths to feed, but there is nothing quite like a whole grilled snapper, or lobster tails, shrimp kebobs, oysters, and OMG monkfish! It requires a relatively cultured palate, but the rewards in terms of aroma and flavors will be outstanding and well worth it.

For your convenience, see the Food Goddess Pinterest board (and will add to it as I find more recipes); I hope you use this resource and enjoy the culinary adventures of summer grilling.

THIRTEEN GRILLED SEAFOOD RECIPES FOR YOUR SUMMER BBQ

Grilled Oysters with Chorizo Butter

Grilled Lobster with Cilantro Lime Butter

Grilled Calamari

Cedar Plank Grilled Sesame Salmon with Kimchi, Miso Butter and Grilled Tomatoes

Grilled Octopus with Ladolemono

Grilled Swordfish

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Honey Sriracha Aioli

Grilled Whole Red Snapper

Grilled Lemon Whole Red Snapper

Grilled Sea Bass with Spicy Fish Sauce

Grilled Chili Lime Dungeness Crabs

Grilled Foil Packets Clambake

Grilled Malaysian Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf