Keep the grill cooking all summer long with a family favorite, seafood, and satisfy taste buds with fresh flavors hot off the grates. While some assume seafood is challenging to cook, it can be an easy meal for home chefs of all skill levels.
To ensure your cookout is an unrivaled success, start with seafood that brings superior taste to the table. From crustaceans to a wide selection of unique-tasting oysters and sea scallops, mussels, and clams, Maine Seafood offers something for all seafood lovers.
With a coastline stretching 3,478 miles along the cold, clean North Atlantic, the state is home to a diversity of wild-caught and farmed species.
Get inspired by these Maine Seafood grilling tips, sure to elevate your at-home seafood experience with the state’s superior taste and quality:
Littleneck Clams
Heat grill to medium-high heat, then place littleneck clams directly on grill grates or in a single layer on a large baking pan. After 5-7 minutes on the grill, the clams will begin to open. Without spilling juice, carefully place clams on a serving platter. Serve with melted butter or in pasta. Discard clams that don’t open.
Oysters
Place oysters cupped sides down directly on the grill heated to medium-high. Cover the grill and cook until oysters open and meat is opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes for smaller oysters and 8-10 minutes for larger ones. Place on a serving platter, remove the top shells and run a sharp knife along the insides of the bottom shells to detach oysters. Top with garlic butter and serve with lemon.
Salmon
Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Pat salmon dry; brush with olive oil and top with seasonings. Place salmon skin side down on grill grates and cook 6-8 minutes, or until meat turns opaque. You can also try a grill-safe cedar plank to infuse added flavor.
Haddock
Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Pat haddock – flaky white fish that’s sweet and delicate – dry and brush with olive oil. Wrap fillets in aluminum foil with herbs and seasonings; completely sealed with seam sides facing upward. Grill 8-10 minutes, or until meat turns opaque.
Lobster Tail
Enjoy these tender, tasty Grilled Lobster Tacos with vinegar slaw and cilantro lime crema for a delicious twist this summer.
For easy, delicious recipe inspiration and to order seafood straight to your door, visit SeafoodfromMaine.com.
Grilled Maine Lobster Tacos
Total time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8
Vinegar Slaw:
- 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 small head of green cabbage, shredded or cut thinly (approximately 8 cups)
Cilantro Lime Crema:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 lime, zest only, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- kosher salt, plus additional to taste, divided
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lobster Tacos:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 large (4-6 ounces each) Maine Lobster tails, defrosted
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 8 small flour tortillas
- pico de gallo
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
To make vinegar slaw: In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat apple cider vinegar, celery seeds, sugar, and water; stir until sugar dissolves. In a large bowl, pour the mixture over the cabbage; cover and refrigerate.
To make cilantro lime crema: In a blender, blend sour cream, cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste; refrigerate.
To make lobster tacos:
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush grill grates with oil to prevent sticking. Using kitchen shears, cut lobster shells in half lengthwise. Place a skewer through the meat to prevent curling during cooking.
- Brush lobster meat with melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill lobster tails meat side down for 5 minutes, then flip.
- Brush meat again with butter and cook for 5 minutes or until opaque throughout. Cook to 140 F internal temperature.
- Remove meat from shells and cut into bite-sized chunks or leave whole, if desired.
- Place tortillas on the grill for 30-60 seconds per side or until warmed and slightly brown.
- Add drained slaw to tortillas. Top with lobster meat, pico de Gallo, and cilantro sauce. Serve with lime wedges.