BBQ marinades

Honey and Soy Marinade

1. In a plastic bag mix about:

- 1 teaspoon of honey

- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

- 1/4 teaspoon of chili paste

- 1/8 teaspoon of ginger paste

2. Squish the mixture around with your hands to blend it.

3. Add the meat and squish it around to coat it evenly.

4. Marinate for 2 hours.

5. Grill, BBQ or fry. 

Herb Marinade for Chicken

1. In a plastic bag mix:

- a tablespoon of virgin olive oil

- chopped fresh herbs - thyme, chives, rosemary, sage, etc.

2. As above.

Tandoori Marinade
1. In a plastic bag mix:
- 3 tablespoons of tandoori paste (store bought)
- 1 tablespoon of yogurt

2. As above.

Ethnic Lamb Kebabs
Pork Spare Ribs with Honey and Soy Marinade
Chicken Wings with Herb Marinade

Chicken Thigh Pieces with Tandoori Marinade

Ethnic lamb kebabs

These kebabs are really easy to make, and really delicious - even if you normally don't like lamb. I guess that making them in Japan means they are a little expensive because lamb is expensive here, but you can buy the cheapest lamb or even mutton. I got the basic idea from lamb kebabs I ate at a local Nepalese restaurant.

If you look at all the steps, you might think these are troublesome to make, but actually they take less than 10 minutes! And then cooking is another 10 minutes.

I guess you could also use this same basic idea and change the meat to pork, chicken or even beef. Change the spices to suit the meat.


1. In a food processor, finely chop one green spring onion (ao negi), and a handful of fresh parsley.

2. Add the dry crust from one slice of bread. Chop it until the bread is also very small. Finally, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Remove all the herb mix from the food processor and wipe the bowl with a tissue.

     

4. In the food processor, finely chop 150g of fatty lamb meat. Remove. Chop another 150g. 

5. Put all the meat back in the processor, add a pinch of salt, and whiz until it becomes sticky.

6. With a spatula, put the meat into a bowl with the herbs and mix it together. 

7. Divide the meat into 4 portions, put each one on a large piece of kitchen wrap.
8. Using the wrap (so you don't touch the meat) make long flat sausages.
9. Put a bamboo stick in each, wrap the meat around it and squeeze the kebab tightly.
10. Put aluminum foil on the ends of the stick so it doesn't burn.
11. BBQ or grill on high heat until each one is dark brown and cooked.
12. Serve with plain yogurt and chopped mint dressing.

 


NOTES:
1. The onion and parsley are to give the meat a "fresh" taste and to balance the heaviness and oiliness of the lamb.
2. The bread is to help bind the meat and to also lighten the mixture. DON'T put too much! The cumin seeds add fragrance and make the dish more "ethnic". If you don't add cumin, the dish is lamb patties.
3. The food processor should be clean when you add the meat. It is important for Step 5.
4. If you have a big processor, you can do all the meat together.
5. This is the MOST important step for making meat patties, hamburg steak, meat balls, etc. In Step 4, you just make minced meat/ground meat. In Step 5, you are making "sausage meat". Adding salt to meat will break the proteins in the meat and make it sticky. DO NOT add anything else such as herbs before you add the salt, or the chemical process can't work well.
8. Using kitchen wrap such as Saran Wrap means the meat is clean, and your hands are clean. Please try to keep the meat as cool as you can - this helps it stick and also the fat doesn't melt.
9. I think fresh bamboo sticks give the meat more fragrance, but you can use regular kebab sticks or even wooden chopsticks. Flat is better.
11. I usually make the meat, or make the kebabs, and keep them for a few hours before I cook them. This makes the flavor better.
12. The dressing is just plain yogurt with finely chopped mint, nothing else.

If you don't have a BBQ, use a grill on high heat. Or you could make small meatballs and cook them in a non-stick frypan. Lamb is oily, so you won't need any oil in the pan. These kebabs would be nice to make a kebab sandwich with some pita bread.

Dried citrus peel

I like using citrus peel to flavor many dishes, especially I like yuzu citron.

Unfortunately, each type of citrus is only in season for a few months if you get them locally, and buy organic ones. I don't like to buy imported citrus from the supermarket. And wax coated fruit that has a long life is really not good for you.

One way to enjoy the flavor and fragrance of citrus is to use the peel. Actually, the peel contains most of the fragrance and taste because that is where the oil is.

To dry peel:
- finely grate, grate or chop only the colored part of the peel
- don't use the white part (pith) because it is bitter
- lay the pieces flat in a dish and put it in a sunny window
- keep it in an airtight jar with a silica gel pack

Honey orange chicken wings

This recipe is a variation of the marinated wings I posted about last time. The cooking method is the same, but the marinade was:
1. Juice of half an orange.
2. Finely grated rind of half an orange.*
3. A little honey.
4. A little soy sauce.
5. Black pepper.

Marinate and grill. If you are worried the wings will burn because of the honey, cook them until golden on both sides using a non-stick pan. You can put them under the grill for a final 2 minutes to make the skin crisp.

* I only use organic oranges and lemons when I grate rind. Regular supermarket citrus have a wax coating on them.

The marinade sauce that is left over after you remove the chicken can be heated in a pot and thickened with a little potato starch to make a dipping sauce.

Honey chicken wings

I bought chicken wings that were just the meaty part of the wing, with no tips. The butcher had "butterflied" the meat off the bone, so they could be cooked flat. It really speeds up the cooking process. The only problem with this dish, is that you need to think about it an hour before you start cooking :(

1. In a ziplock bag, mix about a tablespoon of honey, a tablespoon of soy sauce, half a teaspoon each of minced ginger and minced garlic.*
2. Add the chicken wings and squeeze them until coated with the mixture.
3. Leave to marinate, turning them over sometimes if you can.**
4. Heat a non-stick pan and add a little oil, not much but so the honey doesn't burn.
5. Cook each side of the chicken until golden.
6. If they begin to burn, turn them immediately. If necessary, finish them in a toaster oven.

* Sometimes I use pre-minced paste in the small tube. Fresh is much nicer. 

** You can prepare this in the morning and leave them all day, but then one side will have a stronger flavor. 

I rarely cook these for two reasons: firstly the need to marinate, so I can only do them on a weekend if I have time, and secondly, you really need to watch them as they cook to stop the honey from burning.

Fried tomatoes with onion

Fried tomatoes are often a breakfast food in Western countries, served with bacon and eggs. I don't eat such breakfasts, so I dress them up a bit and move them to lunch or dinner!

1. Heat olive oil in a pan with rosemary leaves.
2. Places tomatoes cut side down in the pan.*
3. Using a hand slicer, slice half an onion (enough for 2 tomatoes).
4. While the tomatoes are cooking, mix the onions to coat with oil and to cook evenly.
5. Turn the tomatoes over after 3 minutes.
6. Cook on the second side, covered with a lid to help hold in the heat.
7. Remove the onions at the point they are just starting to go brown.**

* Cook cut side down first, while the tomatoes are still firm, then turn them over as they soften. This means they don't become slushy.

**You can return the onions to the pan after you turn off the gas, to warm them through, while you put the tomatoes on a plate.

If the tomatoes do break, or if you want to make it a more substantial meal, you could cut the tomatoes and change this into a pasta sauce or steak topping.

Carrot & Onion Omlette

I eat quite a lot of eggs as a main dish, rather than as a breakfast food :) Here is a very simple omlette that includes vegetables so it is a meal by itself. Using a food processor is the key point to save time.

1. In a food processor, whiz two carrots and one onion. Add fresh thyme and a little rosemary and whiz again.
2. Put a little olive oil in a non-stick pan and add the sticks from the thyme, until the oil is hot. Remove sticks.
3. Heat the vegetables until they become a little soft. (About 3 minutes.)
4. While the veggies are cooking, beat 4 large eggs in the food processor!
5. Take the veggies from the pan and mix with the eggs.
6. Put back into the pan. Cover with a lid.
7. Cook until the bottom is golden and the top is not raw. (As well done as you like.)
8. Fold in half and slide out onto a plate.

This is nice for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or in a lunch box.