Get Grillin’ with These Two Seafood Recipes from Chef Bill Briand

The summertime is the perfect time for grillin’. But you don’t have to be on the beach to enjoy fresh, grilled Gulf seafood. So we asked Chef Bill Briand—executive chef at Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina—for some Gulf seafood suggestions to heat up your summer grillin’ menu. Here’s what the chef recommends.

In lieu of regular BBQ with your friends, try grilled oysters or a whole grilled fish!

Grilled Oysters

Grilled oysters are one my favorite dishes to make because not only is it easy, but it’s also delicious. It’s a fun and friendly approach to cooking Gulf seafood.

When you get fresh oysters, which I recommend shucking right before use, shuck them and place them on a sheet pan. Place a sizeable amount of a compound butter on top of each oyster; I prefer a simple yet flavorful butter comprised of roasted garlic and leeks.

Get your grill nice and hot and place the oysters directly on top. The oysters will take approximately 4-6 minutes to cook, but you’ll know they’re ready when the edges begin to curl and start to crisp.

Pull the oysters off the grill when they’re cooked, top them with a bit of parsley, sea salt, black pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon, and enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Leek Butter:

2 lbs butter 1 cup roasted garlic 1 bunch leeks 1 lemon (juiced and zested) 1 tbsp salt 1 tbsp pepper

Procedure:

Cook whole garlic cloves on low until tender. Strain oil over chopped leeks and cook until tender. Purée leeks and garlic in food processor until smooth and allow time to cool. When cool, mix with all other ingredients.

Whole Grilled Red Snapper

My other favorite seafood dish off the grill is a whole grilled Red Snapper.

There are of course many different types of fish that you can use (Pompano, Drum, Redfish), but I prefer the flavor of whole fresh Snapper.

Gut and clean the fish, removing all scales and washing and drying the fish thoroughly inside and out.

Stuff the fish with parsley, lemon, garlic, and fresh thyme. Rub the outside of the fish with olive oil, salt, and ground black pepper. (Tip: Don’t use too much olive oil on the fish. Too much oil can cause a flare up on your grill.)

Heat grill to medium heat for fish, cooking 4-6 minutes then quarter turning the fish and cooking for an additional 4-6 on the same side. (Tip: 8-12 minutes per side of fish.) Then flip the fish and repeat the cooking instructions.

When the fish is cooked, remove from grill and allow time for the fish to rest around 5 minutes. I like to finish my grilled fish with a squeeze of lemon and a salsa verde.

Salsa Verde:

8 anchovy filets with excess oil rinsed off 3 tbsp finely diced shallot 2 tbsp minced garlic 1 cup chopped parsley ½ cup chopped basil ¼ cup chopped mint 2 tbsp capers, drained 1.5 tsp of salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 tsp cumin

Procedure:

Chop anchovy filets, add with other ingredients, and chill.

Want to try these recipes at home? You can find and purchase Gulf seafood in your neighborhood with our database of Alabama Gulf Seafood retailers.

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