Have you ever thought about the concept of a marinade? idea about it?
Consider the fact that many ingredients can be put together in a bowl or bag. clumsily Add chicken, meat, beans, etc. if desired. And like magic, the marinade gets better and better as the day goes on (or even while you sleep!). Your dinner will be tenderer, more flavorful and ready to cook while you’re doing absolutely no work. Sorry, but that’s great.
Grilled chicken is often criticized for drying out on the griddle. butWith a little help from the marinade, you can make the best out of your barbecue. Here’s how:
Step 1: Pick your marinade (refer to the following). Next, whisk or mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.addition ziplock bag Place chicken (legs or breasts pounded to even thickness or sliced in half horizontally) in a glass, ceramic, or metal container. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours, flipping several times if possible.
Step 2: Grill. When you’re ready to cook, heat your grill to medium heat and brush with a little olive oil. Drain excess marinade from chicken before placing on grill. Grill until chicken is firm but not tough to the touch, depending on thickness, about 5-6 minutes total, flipping in half (slightly longer for thighs).
Marinade 1: Lemon Herb
This is my pocket marinade because it has everything I need to make anytime. The secret is the mayonnaise that traps the moisture in the chicken.
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
squeeze honey (not too much)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
juice of half a lemon
fresh rosemary, thyme, or chopped basil leaves (or a combination)
Marinade 2: Vietnamese marinade
I made Andrea Nguyen’s Traditional shake beef recipe (more Vietnamese anytime) many times, but mostly because the marinade is so flavorful, sweet and salty and funky. Luckily, the same ingredients work for chicken. Here is my little adaptation.
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
a pinch of sugar
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
a little sesame oil
1/4 cup neutral oil
Marinade 3: Yogurt Herbie Marinade
The difference to this is that all the ingredients are blended and then about 1/4 cup of the marinade (before adding the chicken) can be set aside and used as a dip for later serving. (Store in the refrigerator.) Feel free to play around with the spices. I like garam masala, but you can also add plenty of curry powder and freshly ground black pepper. The key here is yogurt, which breaks down the chicken and gives it great flavor.
2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves and stems
1/2 large onion (coarsely chopped)
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves (peeled), coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 juicy lime
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 2 inch fresh ginger (peeled and chopped), kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
What’s your favorite marinade? Share it.
PS Our favorite summer meal and an easy dessert to bring to any party.
(Photo credit: CWP, LLC/Stocksy)
