Barbecue fans know all too well that cooking does not mean simply putting meat or fish on the grill: the ingredients must be carefully selected and prepared. And what could be better than a good marinade to enhance flavours and create succulent treats?
Marinade, basic ingredients
All that you need for the perfect marinade
Make a note of these key elements: 1 FAT component, 1 ACID component, 1 CATALYST. The ratios that you need to adhere to are: 1 part fat, 2 parts acid, and the rest as much as you like.
FAT: olive oil, seed oil, cream, butter, lard, coconut milk.
ACID: beer, wine, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, citrus juice, pineapple juice, fat-free yoghurt.
CATALYST: salt and spices. Salt is essential for activating the marinating process, while spices can be added according to your personal tastes and creativity.
How about some recipes to put your talents to the test? Here are 2 suggestions for a meat barbecue, and 2 for grilled fish.
MEAT
Yoghurt marinade (chicken and pork)
Ingredients: half a brown onion, finely chopped; two cloves of garlic, crushed; two spoons of hot mustard; one and a half small pots of fat-free yoghurt (unsweetened); two teaspoons of lemon juice; salt and pepper.
Preparation: Heat some oil in a pan and brown the finely chopped onion and the garlic. Add the spices and cook for two minutes. Transfer to a bowl, add the yoghurt and the lemon juice, and mix them all together.
Perfect wine for yoghurt-marinaded chicken on the BBQ...Barbera d'Asti d.o.c.g. 2015
Red wine marinade (red meat)
Ingredients: half a cup of red wine (we suggest this wine), 2 spoons of balsamic vinegar, 4 crushed cloves of garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Preparation: Place all of the ingredients in a container, mix them all together, and then add the meat.
Perfect wine for yoghurt-marinaded chicken on the BBQ...Nebbiolo d'Alba d.o.c. 2014
FISH
Lemon and spice marinade
Ingredients: 1 spoon of lemon juice, 3 spoons of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, rosemary, sage and garlic.
Preparation: Finely chop the parsley, sage, rosemary, and garlic. Cover them with the oil and the lemon juice, and add the salt and pepper. Brush the marinade onto the fish, repeating the operation several times. Leave the fish to stand for at least one hour. Don’t throw the marinade away when you start cooking! If you continue to brush it onto the fish while it is cooking, the result will be delicious
Perfect wine for spicy fish on the BBQ...Fiano di Puglia i.g.t. 2015
Oriental marinade
Ingredients: 120ml soya sauce, ginger, 60ml seed oil, onion, pepper.
Preparation: Finely chop the onion. Place the soya sauce, grated ginger, and oil into a large bowl. Add the pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together and immerse the fish in the mixture.
Perf.ect wine for oriental marinades on the BBQ... Orvieto DOC 2015
Marinating times
Are you never sure how long to marinate your meat before putting it on the barbecue? Follow these simple guidelines!
Now it’s your turn: try one of our recipes, or let your creativity run free using the basic ingredients that we have shown you. Share your most successful experiments on our Facebook page!
Ph. credits: cbc.ca | advocacymag.com | flaticon.com | freepik.com