Equipment
Ingredients
Seafood
- 250 g large shrimp, shell-on, thawed if frozen
- 250 g sea scallops, side muscle removed
- 250 g swordfish steak, cut into 3cm cubes
Shrimp Butter & Flavor
- 115 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 lemon, juiced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 374 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 16 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 219 mg
- Potassium
- 596 mg
- Calcium
- 60 mg
- Iron
- 1.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 56 mg
- Phosphorus
- 513 mg
- Zinc
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 220 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin D
- 8.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.05 mg
- Niacin
- 5.3 mg
- Folate
- 15 mcg
- Water
- 173 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill.
Peel the shrimp, carefully reserving the shells in a small bowl. Pat the peeled shrimp, scallops, and swordfish chunks completely dry with paper towels. Wash hands and sanitize surfaces after handling raw seafood.
Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the reserved shrimp shells and cook until the shells turn bright pink and the butter smells intensely of roasted shellfish, stirring occasionally.
Pour the butter through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, discarding the shells. Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice to complete the shrimp butter.
Preheat the grill to high heat, aiming for 260°C or 500°F. If using a broiler, set it to the high setting and place the rack close to the heating element.
Thread the shrimp, scallops, and swordfish pieces alternately onto the soaked wooden skewers. Ensure the pieces are touching but not overly packed so they cook evenly.
Place the skewers on the hot grill or under the broiler. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, brushing generously and repeatedly with the warm shrimp butter using a pastry brush. Cook until the seafood is opaque and the internal temperature reaches 63°C or 145°F.
Transfer the cooked skewers to a platter. Brush with any remaining shrimp butter and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Dry-packed scallops are essential here; wet-packed scallops are treated with phosphates that cause them to release excess moisture, steaming instead of searing.
- The shrimp butter technique is a zero-waste culinary secret. The shells contain incredible flavor compounds that are completely fat-soluble.
- For the best texture, ensure your swordfish cubes are roughly the same diameter as your scallops and shrimp so everything cooks at the same rate.
- Always pat your seafood aggressively dry before grilling. Surface moisture is the enemy of a good sear and will lower the grill temperature on contact.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. Seafood quality degrades quickly; consume as soon as possible.
Reheating: Gently reheat in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water, covered, until just warmed through to avoid rubbery texture.
Troubleshooting
Seafood sticks to the grill grates
Cause: Grill grates were not clean or hot enough before adding the seafood.
Fix: Wait 30 to 60 seconds; protein will naturally release from hot metal once a crust forms.
Prevention: Ensure the grill is fully preheated and use a grill brush to clean the grates thoroughly before cooking.
Scallops are rubbery and tough
Cause: Overcooking due to leaving the skewers on the heat for too long.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once overcooked.
Prevention: Monitor closely and remove from heat exactly when the center turns opaque.
Cultural Context
Utilizing discarded crustacean shells to infuse fats is a classic technique rooted in French culinary traditions, often used to create compound butters or bisques. This method brings a zero-waste philosophy to modern American grilling, extracting immense depth of flavor from just a few simple ingredients.
