Great Seafood On The Grill

Morton's, The Steakhouse, turns thirty this year.

And while the chain is obviously well known for its steaks, Morton's also turns out delicious seafood.

Its co-founder and vice chairman, Klaus Fritsch, visited The Early Show plaza Friday to show us some secrets to grilling up delicious delights from the sea.

The main secret to delicious grilled lobster? Basting it with butter.

And grilled scallops are an easy and elegant appetizer, Fritsch says.

Fritsch prepared various seafood and veggie dishes -- a nice change after the burgers and steaks most people have been grilling all summer long.

Grilling lobster probably intimidates many home cooks. But Fritsch brushes it with oil, then places it on the grill -- then periodically bastes with butter as the lobster cooks. He serves the lobster with drawn butter (of course!) and wasabi mayonnaise.

Scallops are another item that many home cooks probably never think about putting on the grill, but Klaus says they can be as easy as they are scrumptious. He suggests plating them over greens and serving them as an appetizer.

RECIPES

Grilled Zucchini

2 lbs. Zucchini
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 Tbls. Fresh oregano, chopped
To taste Salt
To taste Fresh ground black pepper

Wash the Zucchini. Then Cut across the zucchini at an angle to create oval slices about 5 or 6 inches long and about half an inch thick. Brush the slices with olive oil, season, and then sprinkle with the Fresh chopped Oregano.

Place the slices on a hot grill and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Move them to a cooler spot on the grill if they begin to char.

Grilled Sweet Peppers

1 lb. Red sweet peppers
1 lb. Green sweet peppers
1/4 cup Olive oil
To taste Salt
To taste Fresh ground black pepper

Cut the peppers in half, top to bottom. Remove stem and seeds. Cut those halves into 3 inch wide pieces. Brush the peppers with olive oil, season and place on a hot grill. Cook the peppers a total of about 10 minutes until soft but still al dente. Move them around the grill if they begin to burn. Turn them frequently while cooking.

Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic glaze

2 lbs. Large Asparagus
1/2 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground white pepper
2 ounces Balsamic glaze

Cut the last inch off of the asparagus. Peel the last 2 inches of the asparagus spears. In a pot of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus for about 5 minutes until al dente. (Cooking time will vary with the diameter of the asparagus.) Place the blanched asparagus in ice water to shock. When it is completely cooled, remove it from the ice water and place on a paper towel to dry.

Meanwhile, place The balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper into a small mixing bowl and mix well.

Place the asparagus in a shallow pan and pour the vinegar and oil mix over the asparagus. Move the asparagus around in the pan so that all the spears get coated. Let the asparagus marinade for about 10 minutes, a little longer is fine if you wish.

Be careful to drain the asparagus well before placing it on the grill. Place the drained, marinated asparagus on a hot grill. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes till very lightly charred.

Place the grilled asparagus on a platter and drizzle the Balsamic glaze over the asparagus.

Grilled Wild Pacific Salmon

4 - 10 ounce Wild Pacific Salmon fillets
1 Tbls. Olive oil
To taste Salt
To taste Fresh ground black pepper
1 bunch Fresh parsley
2 each Lemons

Brush the Salmon fillets with olive oil. Then season the fillets.

Clean the grill with a wire brush and then rub the grate with a little salad oil on a towel. This will help prevent the fish from sticking to the grate as it cooks.

Place the fillets, skin side up, on a hot grill. Cook for approx. 3 minutes, (times will vary with the thickness of the fillets), and carefully, slide a spatula under the fish. Turn it over on the skin side, in a cooler area of the grill. Continue to cook for approx. 8 to 9 more minutes, until the flesh of the fillet is cooked but still slightly opaque.

Slide the spatula under the fillet, between the skin and the flesh. Place fillets on a platter and garnish with a little fresh parsley and lemon quarters.

For lobster and scallop recipes, go to Page 2.

Grilled Whole Maine Lobster with Drawn Butter and Wasabi Mayonnaise

2 - 2-1/2 lbs. Whole Live Maine Lobsters
2 Tbls. Olive oil
To taste Fresh ground black pepper (optional)
8 ounces Salted butter
1/2 cup Heavy mayonnaise
2 tsp. Wasabi powder
1 tsp. Fresh lemon juice
1 bunch Fresh parsley
2 each Lemons

Begin by submerging the lobsters into a pan of ice water. Leave them in for about 15 minutes. (This humanely kills the lobster while keeping the meat relaxed. The lobster goes to sleep and never wakes up.)

When the lobster is ready, carefully split the lobster lengthwise from nose to tail. Remove the stomach sack near the head of the lobster and clean out any Tomalley. With the back of a heavy knife, crack the claws of the lobster.

Brush the meat side of the lobster halves with olive oil and season with black pepper if desired. Place the lobsters, meat side down, onto the hot grill. Cook for about 3 minutes.

Turn the lobster halves over, move them to the edges of the grill, (cooler) and cover the grill and cook approx. 12 to 15 more minutes, brushing the meat with melted butter a couple of times as it cooks.

Meanwhile, place the butter in a small pan and melt it.

Place the mayonnaise, Wasabi powder and lemon juice into a small mixing bowl. Whisk the together until smooth.

Place the cooked lobsters on a platter and garnish with fresh parsley and lemon quarters. Serve the melted butter and Wasabi mayonnaise along with the lobster.

Grilled Sea Scallops with Apricot Chutney

1/2 cup Apricot preserves
1/4 cup Strained horseradish
1 tsp. Freshly cracked, whole black pepper
12 each Large Sea Scallops
2 Tbls. Olive oil
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground white pepper
1/4 bunch Parsley
1 each Lemon

Place the apricot preserves in a small mixing bowl. Add the Strained horseradish and the fresh cracked pepper. Blend well with a wire whip. Set aside.

Pull the side nerve off of each scallop.

In another small mixing bowl, place the scallops and olive oil. Toss the scallops and oil until coated. Season the scallops with the salt and white pepper and toss again.

Place the scallops onto a clean, hot grill. Cook for approx. 2 minutes depending on how large the scallops are. Rotate each scallops ¼ turn and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn the scallops over and cook for approx. 3 - 4 more minutes. You want the scallops to be cooked through but still slightly opaque in the center.

Place the scallops on a platter, garnish the plate with parsley and lemon wedges. Serve the chutney on the side.