Chicken with Honey and Cumin Marinade

During a visit to Galway City’s Latin Quarter some years ago, my husband and I randomly chose a restaurant from Quay Street’s vibrant array of pubs and cafés. I don’t recall the name of the restaurant or what I had for dinner. My only recollection is of the saucy Spanish chicken wing starter.

The combination of flavors fascinated me. I took each bite in "ingredient analysis mode." What made this chicken just-right hot? Sour? Sweet? The place was too busy to ask for the recipe, but when I returned to New Hampshire, I found a honey-cumin chicken recipe in one of my Spanish cookbooks. After several experiments, I produced a comparable dish, easy to fix and wonderful with larger chicken parts. I’ve served it to company several times with rave reviews.

The last time we visited Galway, I wanted to try the wings again to see how my chicken measured up. Sadly, the restaurant had closed, but with this chicken dish, I can conjure up Quay Street any time I like. Enjoy!

CHICKEN with HONEY and CUMIN MARINADE

2-5 lbs. of your favorite chicken parts           1 tsp. dried thyme
¼ cup olive oil                                                    3 tsps. cumin
½ cup white wine                                              2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbs. sherry or champagne vinegar              2 Bay leaves
4 Tbs. honey                                                        1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. Buffalo Wing or Hot Sauce                   Fresh ground black pepper

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1. Trim and wash chicken. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Marinate for at least one hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Transfer chicken and marinade to baking pan. Bake skin side up, basting once or twice, for one hour or until nicely browned.

Poire William Marinade

Summer is here, and that means salads. We make one of our favorite main course salads with spinach and baby greens, sweet red grapes, pistachios and/or pine nuts, dried blueberries, Gorgonzola cheese, and grilled marinated chicken breasts.

Last night we marinated the chicken in my version of a concoction starring a Pear Brandy known as Poire William. We used boneless chicken, but we’ve also used this versatile and delicious marinade on cut up chicken parts and pork tenderloin. The pears add just the right amount of sweetness, and the rest of the ingredients provide a perfect flavor combination for a cool meal on a warm summer day.

POIRE WILLIAM MARINADE

1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup Poire William (Pear Brandy)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
3 Tbs. olive oil
1½ tsps. dried tarragon (or 1 Tbs. fresh chopped)
2 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
             (or a small can of unsweetened pears, drained)
Fresh garlic cloves to taste
1 large shallot
Salt and fresh ground white pepper to taste

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Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. Marinate poultry or pork for at least one hour, and then grill as desired.

Greek Roast Chicken

A simple marinade, a complex flavor. This chicken is great in summer on a barbecue rotisserie. Right now, it's winter in New Hampshire, and a vertical roaster rack is preferable. If you don't have one of these wonderful little gems that leaves most of the fat in the pan, I suggest you acquire one at once! 

 GREEK ROAST CHICKEN

1 4-6 lb. roasting chicken                   Several cloves of minced garlic
¼ cup olive oil                                      1 tsp. dry oregano
½ cup fresh lemon juice                     Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup dry red wine

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1. Wash the chicken and remove excess fat. If chicken doesn't already have a pop-up timer, insert one into the breast meat. Truss to keep the wings and legs from dangling.

2. Mix wine, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and oregano. Place chicken in a plastic zip bag and pour marinade over. Marinate at least 1 and up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

3. Remove chicken from marinade. If using a rotisserie, set the chicken on a spit with a drip pan underneath. Roast 2 to 3 hours, until timer pops up, basting occasionally with the marinade mixture.

If using a vertical roaster, preheat oven to 450°. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for faster cleanup, if desired. Spray the vertical roaster with non-stick spray and set it in the pan. Position chicken on roaster neck up. Top with a small square of aluminum foil to keep the top of the chicken from burning. Pour marinade diluted with water into the pan. Roast chicken for twenty minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° and continue roasting for 2 to 3 hours, basting occasionally, until timer pops up.

Marinade for Flank Steak

For the better part of a decade, I was a stay-at-home Mom. I learned a great deal about cooking then, a lot of it from turning on PBS to watch Julia Child on weekday afternoons. At last, she did something even I could handle: marinating a flank steak. I can still hear her explaining how the olive oil in this recipe acts as a liaison for the other ingredients.

Because the recipe is so simple, I wondered how good it could be. Still, I gave it a try, and I’m glad I did. We’ve tried many flank steak marinades over the years, but we’ve never found one better.

I’ve tweaked this recipe a bit by increasing the amounts and marinating time, but it’s essentially Mrs. Child’s.

MARINADE for FLANK STEAK

1 large shallot, chopped
4 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried thyme
A few drops hot sauce

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1. Trim a 1½ to 2-lb. flank steak and score lightly on each side.

2. Combine marinade ingredients and marinate steak at least 1 hour. Overnight is better.

3. Grill to desired doneness. Slice thinly, at an angle, and serve with preferred side dishes.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Marinated in Coffee

In the mood for prime rib some time ago, I ordered a Cuban version at a local restaurant. I wondered who on earth would spoil good beef by rubbing coffee grounds on it, but I really wanted beef that night and figured I could scrape off the coating.

I ate it all.

When I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit a while back, I had to try it. The magazine featured it in their restaurant section, crediting it to the Belrose Bar & Grill in Pennsylvania. We served it to guests on a hot Sunday afternoon with Couscous and French Lentil Salad and Middle Eastern Zucchini Salad. Making a sauce of the marinade was my idea, but whoever concocted this recipe should receive a culinary medal.

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN MARINATED IN COFFEE

½ cup freshly ground coffee beans
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
¼ cup dry-roasted macadamia nuts (I used more)
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves (I used more)
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 jalapeño chile, coarsely chopped (I used 2)
1½ tsps. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1½ tsps. kosher salt
A few good twists of fresh black pepper
2 pork tenderloins (about 2½ pounds)

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1. Place pork in large resealable plastic bag. Purée remaining ingredients and pour over pork. Turn to coat pork well. Marinate 24-48 hours.

2. Prepare barbecue and gill pork over medium heat, turning often, until done, about 25 minutes. (Internal temperature 145°)

3. Transfer pork to cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Strain marinade into small sauce pan and boil for 10 minutes. Slice pork thinly and serve with sauce. 6 servings.

Irish Whiskey Marinade for Lamb

Barbecue season is here. What can we grill tonight to go with those wonderful warm weather salads we keep in the fridge for quick and easy sides? If you enjoy lamb, try this delicious marinade for barbecued lamb chops, lamb cubes, or butterflied leg of lamb.

IRISH WHISKEY MARINADE for LAMB

½ cup Irish whiskey (I used Jameson's)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. fresh thyme or rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried
1 Tbs. fresh oregano, or 1 tsp. dried
Salt and pepper to taste

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Combine marinade ingredients. Reserve ¼ cup of marinade for basting and pour remainder over lamb. Marinate in refrigerator 6-8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Grill lamb to desired doneness, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

Teriyaki Fish Marinade

TERIYAKI FISH MARINADE

¾ cup bottled teriyaki glaze             ½ cup minced fresh ginger           
¾cup dry Sherry                               2 Tbs. vegetable oil
3-4 cloves minced garlic

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Combine all ingredients and use to marinate swordfish, salmon, or any fish suitable for barbecue. Pour marinade over fish, cover, and refrigerate at least 1½ hours, turning often. Barbecue or broil as desired.