Chef Mark Kempson explains how to elevate your summer barbecue with marinades
The first thing to note about marinating is its spelling! The verb is with a ‘t’ and the noun with a ‘d’. The second thing is that it’s nothing new. It’s been around for centuries.
Different cultures have different ingredients and methods, but the great thing about marinating is that, as long as you follow a few simple rules, you can go as rogue as you like. Use your favourite flavours within reason and, preferably, season, and give it a go. Summer offers the perfect opportunity for marinating a whole host of seasonal ingredients that can be cooked outside, and marinating can be applied to so much more than just meat. Simple marinades are quick to prepare and add a real depth of flavour and another dimension to your dishes.
GET THE BASICS RIGHT
The best marinades start with great ingredients, so invest in the freshest you can find. Good quality spices work well in marinades, along with fresh aromatic herbs, ginger and garlic. Salt, soy sauce and acidic liquids can have a real positive effect in a meat marinade. The acid will help to tenderise meat and allow for flavour to be infused into what you’re cooking. Salt and soy will brine the meat and help to keep it moist. Acid can come in the form of citrus juice, vinegar and pickling liquors.
Timing-wise, optimum meat marinating time is anything from six to 24 hours as long as it’s refrigerated, but anything longer will spoil the texture of the meat. Anything less than six will obviously work, but have less of an impact on flavour.
If you’re marinating meat, try some of the less expensive cuts (brisket, ribs, skirt steak, chicken drumsticks etc) for your experiments, so that you’re not ruining a Chateaubriand or a whole organic free-range chicken on your first attempt at a ‘bespoke’ marinade.
I’m a big fan of game, so if you’ve managed to save some from the game season and popped it in the freezer, now’s the time to defrost it, marinate it and put it on the barbie.
TRYING IT WITH FISH
When it comes to marinating fish, I don’t marinate for quite as long as meat, but a good sturdy fish like monkfish or cod can take a good few hours. I avoid salt and acid, as both of these will cook the flesh before you’re ready to cook it properly. Saying that, if it’s ceviche you’re after, acid is absolutely the way forward.
I prefer to season fish with salt just before cooking and finish with the acid right
