Marinades and meat

Marinades & Meat

You can do whatever you want with a marinade and slabber it on a piece of meat for several hours or just before. It layers on wonderful beautiful layers of flavour.

Lemon, Thyme & Garlic Marinade

A beautifully aromatic marinade for a weekend roast chicken. Can also use this on chicken joints, pork and grilled/roast vegetables (courgettes, roast new potatoes, trays of roast carrots & parsnips etc.)

Ingredients

• A small handful of fresh thyme leaves
• 4-5 bay leaves
• A small handful of fresh oregano or marjoram leaves (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic
• Juice and zest of a lemon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
• 60-80ml extra virgin olive oil

For a Spanish twist

• add the zest of an orange
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1-2 tsp smoked pimenton

Method

1. Combine all the herbs in a mortar or a bowl.
2. Bash the garlic one or two times and place the peeled garlic into the bowl.
3. Grab a Microplane and zest the lemon.
4. Add the salt and pepper to your taste. Then bash the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper into a rough paste.
5. Then add the lemon juice and oil.
6. It's ready to marinade your chicken.

Using the Marinade with Vegetables

You could add some tahini or pomegranate molasses and smear it over parsnips and carrots. These marinades work on any kind of vegetable.

Spiced Coriander Seed Paste for Roast Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken
• Parsnips, carrots, squash etc. (optional)
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ lemon
• The paste listed above

Method

1. Massage the paste all over the chicken, into all the nooks and crannies. Marinade overnight or for at least a few hours.
2. When you are ready to eat pre-heat the oven to 210C. Roast chicken in the oven for 20 minutes before turning the oven down to 180C and turning the chicken over. Roast for a further half an hour.
3. At this stage stick a skewer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh and in the middle of the wing. If the juices run clear the chicken is done and can rest somewhere warm for 10 minutes; if still a bit pink roast for another 5-10 minutes.

A Smoky Miso & Coriander Seed Marinade

I tried some fried chicken skins, coriander seed-dusted, at Yusho in Chicago that blew me away. I love this marinade with its nod to Asia. It transforms a roast chicken into something rather more exotic and the lightly spiced paste is mellowed beautifully by roasting the chicken on a bed of sweet roast root vegetables (red onions, parsnips and carrots).

Ingredients

• 1 large 2" knob of ginger
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp chilli flakes (urfa, ancho, Turkish all delicious) or 2 tsp black peppercorns
• 3 garlic cloves, bashed and peeled
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp sweet white miso
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 4-5 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the ginger into a pestle and mortar.
2. Add the coriander seeds, chilli, garlic cloves, sugar and ½ teaspoon of flaky sea salt. Bash to a smooth-ish paste.
3. Work in the miso and finally stir in the vinegar and oil to combine thoroughly.

Christmassy Beef Shin Marinade with Rosemary & Juniper

Ingredients

• 1 tsp juniper seeds
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 garlic cloves, bashed and peeled
• ½ orange, juiced
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt

Method

1. Place the juniper, cloves, cumin seeds, cinnamon, rosemary, orange zest, peppercorns and garlic into a pestle and mortar and bash together to form a rough paste.
2. Then add the orange juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil and sea salt and bash together again.