10 tips for a seafood barbecue

This Lent, make the most of your fish and seafood by preparing them in new and fun ways. If you're a grill lover, don't wait any longer and plan your next barbecue with seafood products; it will be a memorable experience! To become an expert in the field, chef Rodrigo Carrasco shares 10 basic tips to get the most out of your seafood barbecue: Choose fresh and meaty ingredients. You need rich but fire-resistant meat. Ingredients with shells, like clams, are perfect for the grill because they protect their meat. The fire is your friend. Experiment with different woods and sweet charcoal at a gentle and constant temperature. You will achieve subtle and refined cooking. Remember that, unlike meat and vegetables that require power, seafood ingredients need subtlety in cooking; in other words: a gentle and constant fire. Marination and resting. If you want to enhance the flavors, let your seafood ingredients rest in mixtures you like before putting them on the fire. Try brines, sauces, spices, or infusions with herbs. Time. Patience is the golden rule in seafood barbecues. Treat your barbecue like a ritual: select your ingredients, let them rest, light the fire, marinate the ingredients, cook them over the coals, and let them rest again. Think about the time and rest that oysters or a Tikin Xic fish require. Sides and accompaniments. Choose simple and subtle elements or preparations to accompany your seafood stars. For example: vegetables that add freshness to your fish and seafood, fruits, or citrus sauces that dance to the rhythm of the sea and your grill. Presentation. Simple is elegant. Use basic elements: forks, spoons, and a plate. The stars of your table will be the fish and seafood themselves. Think about the colors, texture, and body of shrimp or a leche de tigre. An excellent tip is to chill your utensils so that your first bites are memorable. Combination of sea and land. Dare to combine them! What would a zarandeado fish be without chiles? Grill onions, leeks, dried chiles, and even plantains. Let them unite over the fire. Pairings. My rule is: accompany your hot dish with a cold and fresh drink like the sea. The hotter and spicier your preparation is, the colder and fresher the drink you should choose, such as albariño wines, cavas or champagnes, or light beers like lagers, pilsners, or IPAs. Serve your feast in the center of the table. Unlike other dishes, seafood is very aesthetic on the table. Serve your barbecue in whole pieces and naturally; this will help you create unique compositions while also creating the perfect environment to share flavors at the center of the table. Dessert time. Choose strong desserts that cleanse your palate. After a marine and grilling feast, your palate will need citrus, alkaline, or herbal flavors to cleanse itself. Try lemon tarts, grilled plantains, or grilled berries with cookies. May your seafood barbecue be a complete success! Rodrigo Carrasco is a chef at Kitchen 6 in Mexico City and at Brasahua, Vallesana Grill of land and sea, in Ávandaro.