Dearborn Market is very excited to have just opened their new and expanded delicatessen. With this expansion they’ve added seafood to their multiple offerings. DJ Luccarelli, Vice President of Dearborn Market believes this will be a welcome addition to those individuals wanting a more varied selection. As the summer months are upon us, “grilling fish outside can be one of the best ways to enjoy the delicious flavors freshly caught seafood has to offer.” Cooking fish outside can be a little trickier than just throwing a few burgers on the grill. In order to obtain the best results, DJ recommends that you following some of these seafood grilling techniques:

·        Choose firm-fleshed fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut, or grouper for best results. There's nothing more impressive than a side of salmon from the grill or a whole marinated snapper that has been scored and stuffed with fresh herbs and garlic cooked on the bone.

·        When cooking seafood, marinate only for an hour, as the flesh will "cook" when exposed to any acid such as wine or citrus juice.

·        Grill shrimp either in the shell or peeled on a skewer.

·        Large scallops threaded on skewers with vegetables are memorable.

·        For a simple and incredible dish, place whole, washed clams and mussels on a grill, cover with the grill lid or a metal bowl and cook for 10 minutes until the shell opens. Serve with drawn butter and lemon or one of the dressings.

·        A moderately hot fire is best for cooking fish and shellfish. Avoid strong fire starters and self-lighting briquettes; their aroma can overwhelm the delicate flavor of fish.

·        Adjust the grill height to 4 to 6 inches above the heat.

·        Apply a light coat of oil to the cooking grid prior to lighting the fire.

·        Keep fish refrigerated until your ready to cook. It's important that the fish be very cold when it's placed on the grill. The cold will slow the cooking time and allow the fish to absorb as much of the smoky flavor as possible.

·        Apply a light coat of oil to the fish to prevent sticking.

·        For fragile fish, use a hinged fish basket, or place fish on a lightly greased piece of aluminum foil. Poke a few holes in the foil to allow the smoke to circulate.

·        Cook fish steaks, fillets and kabobs directly over the heat source.

·        Cover-cook a large, whole fish by indirect heat for best results.

·        Baste lean fish frequently to retain moistness.

·        Turn whole fish and steaks half way through the cooking time. Fillets under one inch thickness do not need to be turned.

·        Fish cooks fast, so watch closely to prevent overcooking.

How To Tell When Fish Is Cooked

·        The most important thing to keep in mind when grilling seafood is not to overcook it. Perfectly cooked seafood is moist and flavorful; overcooked, it becomes dry and tasteless.

·        To estimate the cooking time, measure the fish at its thickest part, including stuffing, and allow 10 minutes per inch.

·        A whole fish cooked by indirect heat will take 10 to 13 minutes per inch to reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

·        Fish is done when it begins to turn opaque and just starts to flake when tested with a fork but is still moist and juicy.

Living by the Jersey Shore means that freshly caught seafood is readily available and wonderful to enjoy outside. Choose your favorite fish and have fun experimenting with the best ways to prepare it on the grill. Add your favorite wine, perhaps a backed potato or rice and a fresh summer salad and you’ve got a summer evening meal to remember.

Here are three of DJ’s favorite seafood grilling recipes:

Grilled Salmon and Asparagus with Jalapeno Hollandaise

Turn ordinary grilled steak or shrimp into a "South of the border Fiesta ".

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

6 each 7-8 ounce salmon filets
18 pieces of asparagus
olive oil
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted hot in the microwave
4 each egg yolks
1/2 each lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash cayenne
2-3 drops bottled hot pepper sauce
1/4 to 1/2 each jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed

Preparation:

Place the salmon and asparagus on a large platter and brush lightly with the olive oil. Season them lightly with a little black pepper and lemon. Prepare your grill to cook at a medium heat. When the grill is ready, put the salmon on skin side down and cook for 5 minutes. Make sure your ingredients for the sauce are ready. Carefully turn the salmon flesh side down and put the asparagus on the grill. You've got about 5-7 minutes to prepare the sauce and keep the asparagus and salmon from burning. It might be easier to have another person prepare the sauce at this point.

To prepare the sauce: Put the egg yolks, juice, seasonings and jalapeno into a blender. Cover and blend until egg mixture is frothy. SLOWLY pour HOT melted butter into the egg mixture while the bender is running.

The sauce will thicken as the butter blends with the uncooked egg yolks. Store the sauce in a warm but not too warm place, or the sauce will get lumpy. Best results if made as close to serving as possible.

Place the grilled salmon on warm plates and top each with three pieces of grilled asparagus. Top the salmon with the hollandaise. Garnish with some cilantro if you like and serve immediately.

Bacon-Wrapped Barbecued Shrimp

This "porky shrimp" comes with a tang. You can cook them like kabobs on skewers or toothpicks (or on a fish screen). They make great appetizers or entire meals with side dishes. If you serve them as appetizers, then you may want to skewer each shrimp combo with toothpicks. Otherwise it's easier to assemble them on skewers. When used as a meal, you might augment this with garlic bread or additional grilled vegetables.

Makes 3 main course servings or 5-6 appetizer servings

Ingredients

1 pound large, giant, or jumbo raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1/2 slice of bacon per shrimp, partially cooked, cut in half (start with 8 slices)
8 bamboo skewers, soaked for 2 hours (or 16 toothpicks if making apps)
1 each red and yellow bell pepper, seeded, cleaned and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small martini olive per shrimp (again, start with about 16 olives)
1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 lime, cut up and quartered

Preparation:

Soak bamboo skewers or toothpicks in advance.

Partially cook the bacon.

Place a martini olive in the center of each shrimp and a piece of bacon around the shrimp.

On a skewer, place a piece of pepper followed by the shrimp combo. The peppers make excellent anchors. Typically try using two parallel skewers to make turning shrimp easier. If using toothpicks, you can use one piece of pepper (or two if room).

Coat with the barbecue sauce and place over direct heat for 3 minutes.

Turn once and baste again with barbecue sauce for 3 more minutes.

Check for doneness, when shrimp turns opaque. If using larger shrimp, you may need to cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Drizzle a few drops of lime on your tasty treat.

Swordfish Kebabs with Lemon and Pepper Butter

Thank goodness Atlantic swordfish has come off the endangered list! It's long been one of my favorite foods on the grill. Just needs a brush of good olive oil and a squirt of lime juice. Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 pounds swordfish (steaks or chunks) cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 each red and yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, cut into 1 1/4-inch squares
sea salt to taste
juice of 3 limes
1 stick unsalted butter
freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Place fish in one layer in a shallow glass dish. Combine peppers, lime juice, butter, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour over fish and marinate about 1 to 2 hours, at room temperature.

Thread fish pieces on skewers, alternating with various colors of peppers. Grill, turning and basting frequently with remaining marinade -- about 10 minutes. Salt to taste. Pour any remaining marinade over kebabs and serve.

Tip: Make sure you soak wooden skewers for at least one hour before drying off and threading the fish and vegetables on them. This will help to keep them from catching fire on the grill.