GrillinFools

I realize that at the time this post was added to the website that a lot of us are right in the middle of winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come back and reference this later or refer to this on your own island getaway.  Click below to see how my dad and cousin (the other two Grillin Fools) and their wives and some friends grill it up island style.  I’ll hand the reins over to dad for the write up…

This is a feature that was supposed to be posted to the website last summer but due to a water line break requiring the removal of everything from the room that is my home office the notes were misplaced.  They were rediscovered a few days ago and I thought we are now in the depths of winter so why not put this together to give us all a warmer feeling during this dreary season.  So here we go on a seaside adventure with Shrimp and accompanying goodies.  While not all the Shrimp are grilled I think you’ll find an enjoyable experience unfolding here.

It’s that time of year for a couple of Grillin Fools to take a much needed break.  For several years the vacation trek has landed us on Dauphin Island, Alabama for a bit of seaside relaxation.  Typically, the trip occurs the end of April through the beginning of May when condo rates are off-peak making the jaunt very affordable.  A couple of thoughts immediately come to mind—grilling (of course!) and shrimp.  Shrimp are caught off the adjacent shore and we often are able to watch several boats harvesting these tasty treats while sipping a cool beverage from our balcony.  I hope you enjoy the journey—we certainly did.

The accommodations provide a grill??

Please note this contraption is not a grill—it’s a “hotplate”.  Should any device with an electrical cord be considered a grill by a Grillin Fool?  This situation was remedied a couple of years ago with the purchase of a “travelin’ grill” that fits nicely into the trunk of the car:

The legs fold up and it is transported similar to luggage on wheels.  Two weeks ocean-side without a charcoal grill was NOT going to happen.  It’s not a Big Green Egg but it’s not a hot plate.

U.S. Gulf Shrimp, no imports—we support the local economy whenever possible, were next on the agenda.  Over the years a relationship has developed with the crew at the local seafood shop, Skinner’s Seafood:

Left to right we have Gary Skinner (Old Fart) and the lovely associates Kellie (Blondie) and Gloria (Dingbat) are really customer friendly and have the freshest, best shrimp and seafood in the area.  Skinner’s offers much more than just shrimp—oysters, crab, scallops, flounder, red snapper, and my favorite Royal Red Shrimp along with a selection of seasonings and crab boil.

They’ll even season and steam your purchase on site if requested and at no additional charge.  Should you ever visit Dauphin Island The Grillin Fools suggest you stop by Skinner’s Seafood and enjoy some great seafood or visit them at SkinnerSeafood.com.  This Grillin Fool usually returns home with a couple of coolers of fresh gulf shrimp (frozen with water in Ziploc bags) to last until the next annual visit to the seashore.  When the shrimp are thawed they are just like they would taste the day they were caught and will easily keep frozen for two years—I’ve only made it one year and then I’m returning for more.

Here’s a look at the Royal Red Shrimp mentioned previously.  This photo shows them with heads on:

You will lose quite a bit when de-heading them but the stellar flavor of Royal Reds is certainly worth it:

Normally I like to grill most anything but my favorite way to prepare Royal Reds is to head them, peel and de-vein them, and then boil them in my special crab or shrimp boil (courtesy of the Old Fart) and dip them in warm, melted butter.  Why??  Because Royal Reds (close your eyes while tasting) taste like….Lobster!  It lends itself to an economical ‘surf n’ turf’ dinner because Royal Reds were only $5.99 per pound at Skinner’s.  In order to realize what a bargain this is please know that these shrimp were caught at a depth of 2200-2300 feet 80 miles out to sea then flash-frozen on board due to the distance involved.  Catch depth can range from 1600-2500 feet below the surface.  Royal Reds are not available everywhere—they’re caught off the coast of Alabama and a few select areas off the East Coast.  Most of you reading this will not find them at your local supermarket or fishmonger so if you visit the area be sure to give them a try and bring a few home—I usually return with 20 pounds or so and reserve them for special occasions.

This is the standard recipe, provided by Gary Skinner, I’ve used for years to boil shrimp.  In a large pot filled approximately ½ full of water—shrimp can be shell on or off if you prefer:  I apply a couple tablespoons of the crab boil mixture after combined.

3 parts Louisiana Crab Boil
1 part Swampfire Crab Boil
1 each Lemon/Lime cut and squeezed
Black Pepper to taste (optional)

Bring to a boil—drop in shrimp for 2-3 minutes—turn off heat and let rest for one minute—remove shrimp.  Serve immediately to enjoy warm or refrigerate and served chilled later with your favorite cocktail sauce.

OK—enough of that stuff—it’s time to turn to grillin’.  Everyone’s favorite each visit here is Grilled Kabobs.  Several skewers of Fresh Gulf Shrimp (peeled and de-veined) from Skinner’s, Beef Tenderloin seasoned with garlic and pepper, Mushrooms, Sweet Onions, Red and Yellow Sweet Peppers, and Fresh Pineapple.  What a cacophony of flavors with this combination—add some smoky grilled flavor and I’m in heaven:

The travelin’ grill was fired up using an electric starter—no charcoal chimney because of coastal breeze being a bit hazardous:

A basting sauce of Orange Juice, Brown Sugar, and Honey will be applied several times during the grilling process.  Sorry—no recipe—I just pour and mix till dissolved.  Vegetables, Fruit, and Beef were on the fire first as they require a bit more grilling time than Shrimp.  The Shrimp were grilled until pink and opaque.  Eight people were served and enjoyed this seaside delight.  White wine was selected to pair with the many flavors but a smooth light red might have sufficed.  A good Red Burgundy or Pinot Noir perhaps?  There is beef involved here.  Choose what you like wine-wise—I don’t think you’ll go wrong whatever you choose.  Here is a pic of the finished product:

Another evening meal featured Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp.  Bacon slices, sliced into thirds, were wrapped around each Shrimp and held in place with toothpicks.  These tasty morsels were glazed on the grill with 3 parts Dijon Mustard, 1 part Honey, and few dashes of spicy Chipotle Tobasco Sauce:

The bacon insulates the Shrimp from cooking too quickly and permits absorption of smoky grilled flavor:

It has been suggested that pre-cooking the bacon a bit prior to wrapping the Shrimp allows more even cooking and renders a bit more fat from this menu.  I’m ok with that process or perhaps just using thin sliced bacon will suffice—either way will work.

Here’s the Kabob version during week 2.  Beef was omitted this time, our supply of tenderloin was totally consumed during the previous effort.  This time around potatoes were added:

In order to cook them quickly and impart some grill flavor the potatoes should be boiled prior to grilling, allowed to cool, and then cut into chunks to fit on the skewers.  Incidentally, if using wood skewers they should be soaked in water for an hour or so before hitting the fire.  During the first week when Tom, The Big Green Eggspert was here he prepared small ‘b’ size red potatoes by boiling them and then soaking the spuds in Cajun seasoning.  The leftovers were discovered, still intact, in the fridge so they were added to this effort.  Half of the Shrimp were dusted with Slap Ya’ Mama seasoning found on Skinner’s seasoning rack or can be purchased at SauceHut.com if you can’t find it locally:

The other half were basted with Raspberry Chipotle Salsa (to the left in the pic below) suggested by friend Dan P. who vacationed with us the second week.  The Salsa glazed Shrimp was top notch and The Grillin Fools later prepared this for our friend Joe Bonwich, food writer for the STL Post-Dispatch in May.

The wine was an 06 Columbia Riesling—Eroica—Dr. Loosen by Chateau St. Michelle and it combined nicely with all the flavors presented to our palates.  The basting sauce was modified this time as well—we were out of Orange Juice—so white wine was substituted.  Oops!  I just located the recipe for the original basting sauce/glaze:

1 cup Orange Juice

½ cup Brown Sugar

¼ cup Honey

Heated till combined.

On the grill:

While relaxing on the balcony or sunning by the pool I took the opportunity to catch up on a bit of literature by reading a book or two.  I shopped at a bookstore across Mobile Bay near Gulf Shores and picked up a copy of recently released ‘Emeril At The Grill’.  It was interesting reading and may provide additional inspiration for an upcoming feature.  I’ve long been a fan of Emeril and have dined at his restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Gulfport.  Earlier in the week Emeril’s Risotto recipe was served alongside grilled rib-eye steaks.  I recently commented to Mimi that he was overdue for a book on grillin’—I was surprised to find the edition on the shelf and certainly enjoyed his latest effort.

Seaside grilling has always been a challenge for me.  Apparently the constant salt-air breeze affects the maintenance and temperature of a charcoal fire.  I’ve tried it with the lid to the grill open, lid closed, vents open, vents closed, and all combinations thereof and still have difficulty maintaining temperature.  I’d like to hear from anyone else that has experienced this and any solutions offered.

I hope you have the opportunity to visit Dauphin Island, Alabama someday and partake of the great fresh Gulf Shrimp at Skinner’s and try seaside grilling for yourself.  It’s a great place to relax without city hassle—there isn’t even a stoplight on the island.  There is a great little bakery and Skinner’s Seafood plus a grill—oh—and a refreshing beverage—what more could you possibly want?  Ok—maybe a little Jimmy Buffet, Reggae, and Zydeco on the CD player.  Want more motivation to check it out?  Here you go:

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below or send an email to Greg at Greg@GrillinFools.com

If you are looking for more seafood recipes, check out some of our other offerings:

Sea Bass, Shrimp and Crostinis

Yellow Fin Tuna Steak in an Asian Sauce

Grilled Crab Legs and a Seafood Butter Boil

Grilled Lobster Tails

Filed under: Seafood