Grilling is the special province of man. There’s something very satisfying to a man about cooking over open flame. I didn’t make the rule, I just know that it emasculates a man if he can’t grill a hunk of meat. I’m not saying women can’t grill, but I haven’t met too many women who define their femininity by their ability to grill a steak to perfection or chicken without drying it out. Those are the basics, but grilling seafood requires next level of grilling skill.
Shrimp on a skewer and lobster tails are two of my favorite things to slap on the barbie (sorry, couldn’t resist). Don't get me wrong, I love live Maine lobster steamed to order. But sometimes the live variety is hard to get and takes work to eat. Grilling shrimp and lobster tails is a quick and easy way to go. (Then there’s that whole open flame thing.)
Like most of my foods, I like my lobster with a kick. Same goes for shrimp. That's why I add Tabasco sauce to the basting butter mixture. The char on the outside is key. You need a lot of flame to char without overcooking. This is where a liberal brushing of the butter mixture causes good flame-up. There is a ton of butter used but, fear not, much of it is burned off and the rest adds crazy-good flavor.
To start, get some skewers. If you’re using the wood variety, soak them in water for a few hours beforehand so they don’t catch on fire. The shrimp need to be jumbo to fit on the skewer, so I recommend 15-20 count or bigger. Peel and de-vein the shrimp next, then skewer the shrimp leaving enough skewer to hold when turning. This is not a shrimp kabob so leave your vegetables in the salad. Just shrimp.
The lobster tails should be cut in half, lengthwise (easier said than done, I know). That’s all the prep they need.
Melt one stick of salted butter (one of the very few times I use salted butter). Add a finely chopped clove of garlic and several dashes of Tabasco sauce (add more if you like things spicy, the lobster tails can take it) to the butter and let sit while the grill gets hot. The grill should be set at a medium-high setting.
When the grill is ready, brush the shrimp and lobster tails liberally with the butter mixture and place on the grill, with the lobster tail meat side down. Hopefully, as the butter drips off the shellfish it will start to flame up. (Flame is good.) You’ll want to brush some butter over the shrimp and lobster tails until it flames up. Wait until the flames have almost completely died down and brush them again. Do this for about 2 minutes.
Flip them and repeat the flame up process. The edges of the meat should be getting charred. If the whole shrimp is getting blackened, slow down with the butter. When the shrimp become pink and lose their translucence they are done. The lobster will also lose translucence and become solid white. Pull them off the grill just before you think they are done as the will continue cooking after you pull them from the fire.
Sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley over them and they are ready to go. You don’t need to dip them in butter because they are already buttered and seasoned straight from the grill.
