Grilled Shrimp and Halibut with Herb and Dijon Marinade

When the weather is hot as it has been here most of this summer, seafood is a welcomed alternative to the usual suspects on the grill and is lighter on the eyes and the stomach when it's 90F+ degrees.  Since we host our gourmet group for an al fresco dinner on our patio during the summer, the menu always includes something prepared on the grill. This year, we decided it should be seafood.

One of our favorite restaurants offers the most delicious halibut preparation but I was concerned that halibut might be too delicate for the grill.  We experimented with various firmer-fleshed fish but nothing offered the mild and flaky taste of halibut that I love. Trial and error, three difference marinades and sauces, and we finally achieved gourmet-worthy success! 

The marinade and finishing butter I used were a adaptation and combination of two different Pierre Franey grilled shrimp recipes from his iconic 60 Minute Gourmet which was a collection of recipes that he wrote during the late 1980s and early 1990s for the New York Times.  Both sauces are loaded with fresh herbs from the garden and perfectly balanced for both the shrimp and halibut. I added a few additional spices that we enjoy with grilled shrimp. The seafood was marinated for about 4 hours and then basted with the marinade several times during grilling.

Since most of the halibut purchased here has the skin on, the fish held up very well on the grill using a fish grate and very large turning spatula.  We pulled the skin off after grilling and before plating.

You could serve the seafood right off the grill using only the marinade sauce but, for gourmet, we used a finishing herb butter drizzled over the hot, grilled seafood just before plating and we passed extra herb butter at the table.

This is going to be one of our favorite summer recipes!

(Stayed tuned for the dessert recipe from our gourmet dinner coming soon.)

Grilled Shrimp and Halibut with Herb an Dijon Marinade

Adapted from two different Pierre Franey's 60 Minute Gourmet
Printable Recipe

4 servings

20 jumbo shrimp, about 2 pounds, shelled and deveined
4 6-oz fresh halibut filets

1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
4 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Herb butter (see recipe). May be prepared in advance and reheated gently.

Grill rack for grill is advisable.

Combine garlic, shallots, mustard, wine, lemon juice, olive oil, basil and spices in a bowl. Stir to blend. Place shrimp in a bowl and half of marinade. Stir to coat. Place halibut in a large, shallow dish and spoon the other half of the marinade over the fish, rubbing to coat. Cover and refrigerate seafood for a few hours.

Preheat outdoor grill or oven broiler to high.

Arrange 5 shrimp on each of 4 skewers*, reserving marinade.

Oil grill rack. Place the halibut on one half of the grill, skin side down, and cook for 4 minutes basting with reserved marinade.. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Baste again. Place the shrimp skewers on the other half of grill and cook 2-2-1/2 minutes per side, basting each side with marinade.

Place shrimp and halibut on a large platter and drizzle herb butter over all. Serve immediately.

Herb Butter Sauce:

1/4 cup minced shallots
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Combine the shallots and the wine in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the wine has almost evaporated. Add the cream and reduce by half. Add the butter quickly, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper and herbs.

*Note:  Skewers for the shrimp aren't needed if you are only grilling a few shrimp at a time.