Grilled Seafood Platter Recipe

Prepare seafood

Rinse shrimp, scallops, calamari, lobster tails and fish under cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels. For lobster tails, split the top shell and gently loosen meat from shell keeping base attached; butterfly if desired. Remove side muscle from scallops and pat dry. Trim calamari rings and pat dry.

Portion and skewer

If using skewers, thread shrimp and scallops (and firm fish) onto skewers for easy turning. Keep lobster tails and whole fish steaks separate to avoid overcooking smaller items. Do not overcrowd; leave small gaps for even heat circulation.

Make marinade

In a medium bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, white wine, minced garlic, chopped parsley, thyme, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and black pepper until combined.

Marinate seafood

Divide the marinade: place shrimp, scallops, calamari and fish in one shallow dish and pour about 2/3 of the marinade over them; toss gently to coat. Place lobster tails in a separate dish and brush lightly with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 20–30 minutes — no longer than 30 minutes for delicate scallops and calamari to avoid 'cooking' by acid. Reserve remaining marinade for basting.

Prepare basting butter

In a small saucepan melt unsalted butter over low heat. Add minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Stir in lemon zest, chopped parsley and hot sauce if using. Keep warm on lowest heat or transfer to a heatproof bowl for brushing while grilling.

Preheat grill

Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400–450°F / 200–230°C). Clean and oil grates to prevent sticking.

Cook lobster tails and firm fish first

Place lobster tails shell-side down and fish steaks on the grill. Cook lobster 6–8 minutes depending on size until meat is opaque and registers 140–145°F; baste once with reserved marinade or basting butter halfway through. Cook fish 3–5 minutes per side depending on thickness until opaque and flaky.

Grill shrimp and scallops

Place shrimp and scallop skewers on the hottest part of the grill. Grill shrimp 2–3 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Grill scallops 2–3 minutes per side until golden and opaque. Baste once with reserved marinade or butter toward the end of cooking to avoid burning the garlic in the butter.

Grill calamari

Place calamari rings or pieces on a grill basket or directly on grates. Grill quickly 60–90 seconds per side until lightly marked and just cooked — overcooking makes them rubbery. Remove immediately.

Rest and finish

Transfer all seafood to a warmed platter. Spoon remaining warm basting butter (or reserved marinade that has been boiled for 1 minute if using) over the seafood. Sprinkle with fresh herb and a final grind of black pepper. Arrange lemon wedges and grilled bread around the platter.

Grill bread slices 1–2 minutes per side until charred marks appear and warm through. Serve immediately with the seafood platter, lemon wedges for squeezing and small bowls of extra basting butter or aioli if desired.