Here is a recipe for a really fresh marinade with fresh parsley and fresh cilantro that is perfect for chicken and fish.
Ingredients
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon
1 bunch fresh cilantro
½ bunch parsley
2 garlic cloves
½ tsp coarse salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Preparation
- Squeeze the juice out of the lemon
- Chop the cilantro and parsley finely
- Peel and chop the garlic cloves
- Pour olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl, and add all the other ingredients
- Mix the ingredients until you obtain a smooth consistency.
- Place meat or fish and marinate a time long enough depending on what you are cooking. (See below for listing of times for various ingredient to use the most precise time for you).
Marinades are an essential part of barbecues and grilling, however it is important to use the right length of time for best results. Here are a few tips to help you choose the ideal time.
It is rather difficult to give precise rules to determine the best time for a particular food but some basic rules can be applied with great success.
- 30 min. White vegetables like zucchini, and turnips, as well as shrimps, and other shell fish.
- 2 h. Thin cuts of meat, fish filets, cut chicken and chicken filets.
- 3 to 4 h. Steaks, green vegetables, meats that have a bone, pork and lamb ribs, larger chicken pieces.
- 4 to 6 h. Larger meat pieces like whole chickens, beef roasts, hams, leg of lambs…
- 8 to 12 h. Larger meat cuts such as lamb shoulders.
You must also take into account the following condition when determining the appropriate time:
Type of marinade
Some marinade are stronger than others, due to the spices you use, and other ingredients you use. Vinegar and alcohol will make a marinade more potent.
In that case, reduce the time. If it is really spicy or acid you can even cut the time in half. Keeping the full time would make the taste of the food you marinade almost disappear.
Type of food you are marinating
Marinating time will vary depending on the tenderness of the food. The more the food is tender or delicate, the less amount of time does it need.
From the most delicate to the list we find white fish, shell fish, veal, chicken and other white meat fowls, pork, duck, beef, lamb and finally wild game.
Thickness of the food
It goes without saying that the ticker the food is, the longer it will have to marinate.
Be mindful of the dish or bowl you use to marinate
Use only stainless steel if the marinade is acid (vinegar or lemon added). Personally I always use glass.
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