GRILLED POMPANO AND SHRIMP WITH LEMON, OLIVES, AND BAY LEAVES

Grilled Pompano and Shrimp with Lemon, Olives, and Bay Leaves image

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 10

four 10-inch wooden skewers
four 1/4-pound pieces pompano fillet with skin
16 large shrimp (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for brushing seafood
2 lemons
1 pound spinach (about 2 bunches)
1/3 cup Ligurian or Niçoise olives*
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Ligurian)
16 small fresh bay leaves
*available at specialty foods shops

Steps:

Prepare grill. Soak skewers in warm water 30 minutes.
With a sharp knife slit skin of pompano along center of each piece to keep skin from curling when grilling. Shell shrimp, leaving tail and connecting shell segment intact, and thread 4 shrimp onto each skewer. Brush shrimp and pompano all over with additional olive oil.
With a sharp knife cut ends from lemons. Standing each lemon on a cut side, cut rind and pith from lemon, exposing flesh. Cut lemon segments free from membranes. Discard coarse stems from spinach. Flatten olives, a few at a time, with flat side of a large heavy knife to loosen pit from flesh and discard pits. In a small saucepan stir together olives, extra-virgin olive oil, bay leaves, and a pinch salt.
Season shrimp and pompano with salt and pepper and grill on a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until just cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, grill seafood in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Transfer seafood with tongs to a platter and keep warm, covered. Heat olive mixture over low heat until warm.
In a 12-inch skillet heat remaining tablespoon olive oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté spinach, stirring and turning it with tongs, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season spinach with salt and pepper.
Serve seafood over spinach, topped with lemon segments and olive mixture.