How to Throw an Easy Backyard Bash
We have you covered from decor and drinks to crowd-pleasing recipes and covetable grilling gear.
Jake Rojas. Photography by Angel Tucker.
Fresh Catch
Seafood grilling tips from Tallulah’s Taqueria chef and owner Jake Rojas.
By Carmen Russo
The best way to put seafood on the grill is to keep it simple. These tips from Jake Rojas, owner of Tallulah’s Taqueria, make grilling local catches as easy as a summer breeze.
Start with native fish like squid, black sea bass, striped bass, oysters and lobster. For squid or whole fish, use a seafood grilling basket so that the fish won’t stick to the grates and fall apart. Use lemon juice, olive oil, parsley and oregano on the fish or as an overnight marinade for squid tubes. For oysters, steam on the grill until just open and then douse with a dollop of barbecue butter.
“I’ll take some softened butter and add in lime juice, chopped shallots, chopped cilantro, smoked paprika, chili powder and a little bit of red wine vinegar and whip it into the butter,” says Rojas. “Once the shellfish has opened, it melts right in.”
The butter can also be used on grilled lobster. Pull the claws off and steam just enough to get the meat out of its shell, then throw it on the grill to get some char marks. Cut the rest of the lobster in half from head to tail and place it flesh-down on the grill.
“The lobster stays in the shell and you’re going to grill it until the meat goes from an opaque gray color to a bright white color that has grilling char marks on it,” he says. “It’s a fun way to do lobster other than a big pot of boiling water. It has better flavor, especially if you drop some butter on the grill so it flames up and charbroils the lobster meat.” Tallulah’s Taqueria, 146 Ives St., Providence, 272-8226; 35 Narragansett Ave., Jamestown, tallulahstaqueria.com
