Food blogger Paola Bacchia of Italy On My Mind shares some of her most cherished food memories in her new cookbook At Nonna’s Table: One Italian Family’s Recipes, Shared with Love. This easy seafood skewer recipe was a specialty of her father’s: “The skewers would be barbecued on the back terrace, creating a plume of smoke and the most delicious smell. My father would proudly bring them indoors to the grandchildren, who adored them, easily devouring three or more skewers each,” Bacchia reminisces. “This recipe can be easily doubled, tripled or quadrupled to feed more. The inclusion of orange zest in the marinade adds a lovely brightness to the seafood skewers, which are wonderful with a side of potatoes and salad.”

Shrimp and scallop skewers on a brown platter with a lemon wedge

Grilled Shrimp and Scallop Skewers

Paola Bacchia's recipe for easy grilled shrimp and scallop skewers made with a bright orange zest marinade.

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Course Main Course

Servings 6 skewers

Ingredients

9 oz (250 g) raw shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on, heads removed
9 oz (250 g) raw scallops preferably with the roe attached
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus extra for brushing
1 garlic clove crushed
zest of 1 small lemon
zest of 1 small orange
1 tbsp chopped parsley plus extra for sprinkling
lemon wedges to serve

Instructions

Wash the seafood and pat dry, then place in a lidded container.
Place the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest and parsley in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour the marinade over the seafood, massaging it into the shrimp and scallops with your fingertips. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, but no more than 2 to 3 hours.
If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes before using, so they don’t scorch during cooking.
About 15 minutes before cooking, remove the seafood from the fridge to bring it to room temperature. Thread the shrimp and scallops onto separate skewers (as they have different cooking times), being careful not to crowd them on the skewers.
Heat a barbecue or chargrill pan to medium-high. Cook the shrimp skewers first, by brushing one side with olive oil and placing that side down on the hotplate or pan. After about 2 minutes, carefully flip them over using tongs, then cook for another few minutes until they turn a nicely striped orange. Transfer to a warmed plate.
Cook the scallop skewers in the same way, but reduce the cooking time to about 1 minute on each side. You don’t want to overcook scallops as they can turn rubbery. Serve warm, with lemon wedges and scattered with extra parsley.