Spiced Seafood Skewers

Prep time: 30 min

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3/4 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 12 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 8 large sea scallops
- 3/4 pound salmon fillet with skin, cut into 8 cubes
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
- Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions 1.In a small skillet, combine the mustard seeds, peppercorns, chile powder, bay leaf, celery seeds, coriander eeds and ginger and stir over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and let cool completely, then grind to a powder. Stir in the salt. 2.Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Thread the shrimp onto 4 metal skewers. Alternate the scallops, salmon cubes, cherry tomatoes and zucchini wedges on 4 more metal skewers. 3.Brush the skewers with the olive oil and season generously with the spice mix. (Reserve any remaining spice mix for another use.) 4.Grill the skewers over moderately high heat until the seafood is lightly charred and just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the seafood with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Yield: 4 servings
Featured in Food and Wine Magazine
Contributed by Steve Baker