Sweet Grown Alabama Blogs

On any warm evening from spring through autumn, Alabama families take part in a generations-old tradition: the backyard cookout. Grilling goes beyond a simple means of preparing food. The activity can serve as a form of recreation and become the focus for gathering friends and family together.

In years past, grilling usually meant cooking hot dogs, hamburgers, steak or chicken over charcoal. Among the equipment now available for outdoor cooking are electric, gas and pellet grills. Nowadays, an unlimited array of food seems destined for the backyard grill.

Many kinds of seafood are prime candidates for grilling because of their nutritional composition, physical attributes and flavor. Most seafood is low in fat, which (aside from being less prone to flare-ups) provides a healthy source of high-quality protein. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), eating seafood beginning at around 6 months and continuing through all stages of life can be beneficial to health. The DGA encourage adults and children to eat seafood 2-3 times a week for the following benefits:

• Seafood consumed regularly during pregnancy can help with brain development in babies.
• Seafood starting at age 6 months provides critical nutrients like iron, omega-3’s, and choline that support brain development and immunity for infants and toddlers. Additionally, lifelong taste preferences and healthful food choices can be shaped by introducing seafood early.
• For adults, seafood provides protein, calcium, and vitamin D, which helps strengthen bones and maintain muscle mass.

Seafood has smaller percentages of skeletal and connective tissues compared to equal portions of red meats or poultry; that makes seafood fast and easy to grill. Seafood also offers a variety of flavors that can be enhanced during the grilling process. 

Grillable Alabama Seafood

Whether you purchase them from a local fisherman or a seafood retailer, many Alabama fish, crustaceans and mollusks are ideal for outdoor grilling. The following is a basic list of Alabama seafood suitable for the grill. Check with your local seafood retailer to find out what is fresh, seasonal and suited to your budget.

Serving Amounts

How much seafood to buy depends on the number of people you are feeding, and whether or not the seafood will be in a sauce or mixed with other ingredients. The list below is an estimate of the amount of seafood to buy.

Fish per person

For whole fish, consider ¾ to 1 pound (12 to 16 ounces) per person. Dressed fish that is ready to cook, meaning headed, gutted, scaled, and fins removed, will take 6 to 8 ounces. Fillets are practically boneless sections of flesh cut from either side of the backbone. Steaks are crosswise cuts of fish that include a small portion of the backbone. For either fillets or steaks, you will need 4 to 6 ounces per person.

Mollusks per person

            In the shell-  Oysters- ½ to 1 dozen depending on size

            Shucked- Oysters- ½ to 1/3 pound

Crustaceans per person

            Shrimp:

                        Whole- 1 dozen

                        Headed, unpeeled- 1/2 pound

                        Headed, peeled- 1/3 pound

            Crab:

                        Live meat- 1 to 1 ½ pounds

Freshness and Quality Attributes

Fresh seafood should not smell “fishy, sour or ammonia-like.” Choose seafood that has a faint sea odor. Freshly cut fish, peeled crustacean meats, and shucked mollusks should be moist, never slimy or dry around the edges.

Fresh, high-quality fish have clear, well-rounded eyes. Older fish may have eyes that are clouded, dry and sunken in. The gills of a fresh fish are bright red or pink, not darkened or slimy. The flesh of fish should be moist and springy to the touch, not mushy.

Crustaceans also have several easily noticed quality-recognition points. The tail meat from prawns and shrimp should be uniformly light-colored with no signs of discoloration around the tail joints. Reject crustacean tail meat that is slimy or smelly. Likewise, fresh softshell crabs should have a mild, pleasant odor. The crab’s color should be bright.

Make sure mollusks (oysters) purchased in the shell are alive. Live mollusks hold their shells closed tightly when handled. If the shells do not close, do not purchase them. In a container, shucked mollusk meat should be plump and covered in their liquor. The liquor should be clear and slightly milky or light gray with no sign of shell pieces or grit. Containers must bear either a “sell by or use by” date. Purchase only if the date has not expired. 

Storing Seafood

Fish, crustaceans and mollusks are among the most perishable muscle protein commodities. Ideally, seafood should be purchased the day it is going to be used. Of course, that is not always possible. Therefore, care must be taken to adequately and appropriately refrigerate or freeze fish and seafood until it is prepared and cooked. 

In general, fresh fish should be used quickly within one to two days of purchase. Fresh fish should be washed in cold water, patted dry with a paper towel, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator at 32° to 38°F. Check the air temperature of the refrigerator using a refrigerator thermometer. Fish can be frozen in water and stored in a freezer at 0°F or lower for 4 to 6 months.

Refrigerate live shellfish in a well-ventilated container and cover the container with a damp cloth or paper towel to keep them alive until grilling. Live oysters should be used within 2 days. Scrub live shellfish with a stiff vegetable brush just prior to grilling. Tap open shells during storage and if they close, you can grill them. If not, discard them. After cooking, discard any that do not open. Frozen mollusks are not good candidates for grilling, because the meat is soft and prone to shrinkage.

Live crabs move their legs. Crabs will not be active if they have been refrigerated but should move at least a little. Fresh softshell crabs will maintain their quality better when sealed in plastic wrap and packed in ice in the refrigerator; for maximum quality, use within 2 days of purchase. Softshell crabs can be frozen and good quality maintained for up to 3 months if they are sealed in several layers of plastic wrap, foil, or moisture-proof paper and stored in a freezer at 0°F or lower. Thaw softshell crabs overnight in the refrigerator only.

Store fresh shrimp and shucked shellfish in a refrigerator at 32° to 38°F in a leak-proof plastic bag or air-tight container and consume in 2 to 3 days. Fresh shrimp can be frozen with or without the shell. For best quality, freeze raw shrimp that have been washed with heads removed but shells still on. In a storage container or freezer bag, cover shrimp with cold water, seal, and freeze. The recommended freezer shelf life of shrimp is 3 to 6 months.

Grilling Techniques

• If you intend to cook with charcoal briquettes, line the interior of the barbecue grill with foil for easier cleanup.
• Clean the grill thoroughly.
• Avoid strong lighter fluids or self-lighting briquettes because their odors can overwhelm delicate seafood flavors. Use an electric fire starter or kindling instead.
• A hot fire (375° to 425°F) is best for cooking seafood. Start briquettes about 30 minutes before you begin cooking. Let the briquettes burn until white-hot, then spread coals in a single layer. Outdoor gas or electric grills should be set at 425°F and preheated for 15 minutes.
• Oil both the grate and the seafood with vegetable oil or non-stick spray to prevent sticking before placing the grate on the grill.
• Place the grate on the grill and adjust the height 4 to 6 inches above the heat source.
• Cook small, whole or butterflied fish, fish steaks, fillets, kabobs, crustaceans, and mollusks directly over the heat source.

• Use indirect heat for large whole or stuffed fish. If you are cooking with briquettes, bank hot coals on either side of the barbecue grill and place the fish in the middle of the grill. If you are using an electric or gas outdoor grill, heat the burner on the opposite side.
• For fragile fish, use an oiled, hinged fish basket, a small-mesh seafood grilling screen, or perforated aluminum foil.
• Baste seafood frequently to maintain moistness and prevent sticking.
• Most seafood needs to be turned halfway through the cooking time. Fish fillets under ½ inch thickness do not have to be turned.

Cooking Time Is Critical

The most important point to remember when cooking seafood is do not overcook it. Perfectly grilled seafood is moist and flavorful. Overcooked seafood becomes dry and tasteless. To estimate cooking time, measure the seafood at its thickest part (including stuffing). Grill 10 minutes (at approximately 400°F) per inch of thickness. Remember to turn the seafood halfway through the cooking time.

Fish is cooked but still moist when it turns opaque and/or just starts to flake when tested with a fork. A large whole or stuffed fish cooked with indirect heat requires 10 to 12 minutes per inch of thickness to reach an internal temperature of 145°F to prevent a foodborne illness. A calibrated food thermometer should be used to determine doneness in the thickest part. 

Shrimp and softshell crab turn opaque (milky white) when done. Mollusks in the shell, like oysters, clams, and mussels, open when cooked. 

Once seafood has reached its safe internal temperature, remove from the grill and place it on a clean platter. Do not put cooked food on the same platter that held raw seafood. Also, remember to clean the food thermometer with hot, soapy water.

It is important to keep food at a safe temperature during the entire cookout.  Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours or 1 hour if the air temperature is above 90°F.

Raw Seafood and Foodborne Illness Risk

If you are in a “high-risk” population group, which includes younger children (age 5 and under), older adults (age 65 and older), pregnant women, and immune-compromised individuals, you are at a higher risk of getting a foodborne illness. In addition, certain health conditions put you at risk for serious illness or death. Individuals are at higher risk from these conditions: 

• liver disease, either from excessive alcohol intake, viral hepatitis, or other causes
• hemochromatosis, an iron disorder
• diabetes
• stomach problems, including recent stomach surgery and low stomach acid (from antacid use)
• cancer
• immune disorders, including HIV infection
• long-term steroid use (as for asthma and arthritis)

Check with your doctor if you are unsure of your risk. Eating raw or undercooked seafood, especially raw oysters, can put you at risk for infections such as vibriosis. Vibriosis is caused by some types of Vibrio bacteria. An oyster that contains Vibrio does not look, smell, or taste any different from any other oyster. When eating shellfish, particularly oysters, be sure they are properly and thoroughly cooked to kill harmful bacteria. Shellfish safe to eat will open during cooking. Throw out any shellfish that do not open fully after cooking.  

Added Flavor

• Specialty woods like oak, hickory, pecan, mesquite, and fruit woods lend a subtle flavor to grilled seafood. Soak some wood shavings or chips for 30 minutes before cooking. Place a handful of drained, damp chips on briquettes (or in a separate aluminum or cast iron “smoke pan” just above the heat source in electric or gas grills) just before cooking.
• Fresh or dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, dill, basil, marjoram, paprika, and oregano enhance the flavor of seafood. Soak herbs in water for several minutes, drain, and pat dry. Toss damp herbs directly onto briquettes (or lava rocks) just before cooking.
• Marinades can be a bottled salad dressing or a homemade combination of oil with vinegar or fresh lemon or lime juice and your choice of seasonings. Save extra, unused marinade to brush on seafood as it cooks.
• Sauces should enhance—not mask—the taste of seafood. Match the flavor level of the sauce to the seafood being grilled. Baste with a mixture of equal parts of lemon juice and butter or margarine. Alternately, mayonnaise can be spread on fish fillets to keep them moist.

General Pointers for Using Skewers

• Use square or twisted skewers for seafood kabobs which hold seafood better than round ones.
• Soak wooden or bamboo skewers in room temperature water for 30 minutes before use so they do not burn during cooking.
• Marinade seafood under refrigeration which must be done before putting them on the skewers.
• For delicate seafoods use a double prong metal skewer.