Summer Recipe Series -Grilled snapper and Seared Scallops with Parsley-Mint Chimichurri

by Maro Desjardins

We hope you are looking forward to a great weekend with family and friends here in paradise. If you missed our first installment in our summer recipe series, be sure and check it out here:

Summer Peach Salad with Blueberries, Roasted Asparagus, Feta, Basil and Mint

This week, Maro is cooking up some fantastic snapper and scallops……enjoy!

I always feel fortunate to have access to the freshest seafood when on 30A. For this dish, I made sure the Red Snapper from Buddy’s Seafood took center stage. A simple sauce of delicious fresh herbs is all that is required to make the meal special. It is light and bright and so healthy and a perfect meal for a warm, summer evening. Serve with a dry Sauvignon Blanc or a Sancerre and all is well! Additionally, if you have left over sauce, it makes an excellent condiment for a sandwich or wrap.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

for fish and scallops:

4 8 -ounce servings of snapper filet (about 1/2 inch thick)
8 sea scallops
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
juice of 1-2 fresh lemons, for serving
for parsley-mint chimichurri:

1 bunch parsley (about 1/2 -3/4cup packed, stems removed)
1 small bunch mint (about 1/4 cup packed, stems removed)
1 shallot
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions: Place the parsley, mint and shallot in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add seasonings, vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse again until well combined. Adjust seasonings to taste and Preheat your grill to 375. Spray with cooking spray. Melt olive oil with butter in a small microwavable bowl. Season filets with salt and pepper. Place fish filets skin side down first for 5 minutes. Take half of butter-olive oil mixture and baste the top of fish with marinade. Gently flip fish on other side and cook another 5 minutes or so. Remove from grill and keep warm. Heat a large skillet with remaining olive oil and butter on medium-high heat. Pat scallops dry with paper towel and season with Old Bay Seasoning. Sear scallops on either side for about 4 minutes until golden on each side and cooked through. Place filets on a large platter and surround with scallops. Squeeze fresh lemon over fish and scallops and drizzle chimichurri on top of fish. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Cook’s note: The snapper can also be baked, if grilling is not an option. Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and season the same way. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

Recipe courtesy of Maro Desjardins of MarosCooking.com. Be sure and follow Maro on Instagram at @maroscooking and on Facebook at MarosCooking