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COOKING WITH GALA

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Gala's Notes about Marinades:

Marinate in a nonreactive container such as glass or ceramic, or even in a sealed heavy duty plastic bag.  Use a shallow bowl so the marinade covers as much of the food as possible.

Seafood should marinate for one hour or less, boneless chicken breast for up to two hours, lean pork for up to four hours, and beef for 24 hours or more.  Turn the food at least once an hour (or before bed and first thing in the morning on overnights).  Unless specified, let food marinate in the fridge, not on the kitchen counter, to avoid contracting harmful bacteria.

Do not use leftover marinade as a sauce unless it has been boiled for at least five minutes to destroy bacteria that may have been picked up from the raw meat or fish.

AFRICAN ADOBO RUB:

1 1/2 teaspoons toasted and ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons dried orange peel
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix all together in a bowl and use as rub on meat, chicken, or fish.

ARGENTINE CHIMICHURRI- an Argentine blend drizzled on on barbecued meats as they come off the grill for the national dish "churrasco". 

CHIMICHURRI ROJO
1/2 cup Spanish sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons hot paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon toasted and ground cumin seeds
1 bay leaf, broken in half
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well, refrigerate. Keeps for 1 month. Use on chicken to be grilled or barbequed.

Alternate 1: 
2 onions, chopped 
1 cup coarsely chopped parsley 
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped 
2 garlic cloves, chopped 
1/4 cup olive oil 
2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
Salt, to taste 

Combine all ingredients well.

Alternate 2:
3 bay leaves 
Salt, as needed 
1 bunch cilantro, minced 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 

Finely mince the bay leaves with a pinch of salt, stir in cilantro, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Taste, then add more salt, vinegar or olive oil if needed. It should taste like a well-balanced vinaigrette. 

CITRUS MARINADE 
For Chicken or Shrimp

2 large garlic cloves
1/3 c olive oil
3 tb packed dark brown sugar
2 tb balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 ts Dijon mustard
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/4 c fresh orange or lime juice
1 1/2 ts freshly grated lemon zest

Thinly slice garlic and in a small saucepan cook in oil over moderately low heat until it just begins to turn golden. Remove pan from heat and with a slotted spoon discard garlic, stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste and cool marinade. Makes 1 cup

FIVE SPICE MARINADE 

2/3 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry Sherry
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chili oil
2 teaspoons oriental sesame oil
2 teaspoons five-spice powder

Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until blended. Makes about 1 cup

Marinate beef or chicken in half of five spice marinade at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours in refrigerator before grilling. Remove beef or chicken from marinade; boil marinade 1 minute. Brush boiled marinade over beef or chicken while grilling and pass remaining half of marinade separately. For fish, brush on while grilling, do not marinate.

HUNT COUNTRY MARINADE 

3/4 c Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
3 tb olive oil
2 tb unsulfured (light) molasses
2 tb chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 tb chopped fresh rosemary of 2 teaspoons dried
1 tb crushed juniper berries or 2 tablespoons gin
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 2x1-inch strips orange peel (orange part only)
3 2x1-inch strips lemon peel (yellow part only)
8 whole cloves
8 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves, broken in half
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Makes about 1 1/2 cups 

Marinate poultry 2 to 4 hours and meat 6 to 12 hours in refrigerator. Drain marinade into saucepan. Boil 1 minute. Pat meat or poultry dry. Grill, basting occasionally with marinade.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN MARINADE 

2 c finely chopped scallion
2 Scotch bonnet or habañero chilies, seeded and minced
2 tb soy sauce
2 tb fresh lime juice
5 ts ground allspice
3 ts dry mustard
2 bay leaves, center ribs discarded and the leaves crumbled
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tb salt
2 ts sugar
1 1/2 ts dried thyme, crumbled
1 ts cinnamon

In a food processor or blender purée the scallion, the 2 chilies, the soy sauce, the lime juice, the allspice, the mustard, the bay leaves, the garlic, the salt, the sugar, the thyme, and the cinnamon. Marinate chicken for at least 24 hours and up to 2 days.

JAMAICAN JERK PORK MARINADE 

1/4 c allspice berries
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 ts freshly grated nutmeg
1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/2 c finely chopped scallions (white and green parts) 
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 tb peeled and minced ginger
1 tb chopped fresh thyme
1 tb sugar
1 tb soy sauce
2 tb Worcestershire sauce
3 tb fresh lime juice
1/4 c dark rum

Toast the allspice berries in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, finely grind them with the cinnamon stick in a spice mill. Transfer to a food processor and add all of the remaining marinade ingredients to the processor and blend until smooth. 

Season 6 pork chops with salt and pepper, then rub them all over with the marinade. Place on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or, preferably, overnight before grilling.

MARSEILLES MARINADE 

6 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Whisk all ingredients in small bowl to blend, let stand 15 minutes and rewhisk before using. Makes about 1 cup 

Marinate fish or seafood in half of marinade in refrigerator 30 minutes. Remove from marinade and grill, serve remaining marinade separately.

MOJO

3/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

With a wire whisk, blend the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt in a mixing bowl, refrigerate until needed (no more than 2 days). Makes about 2 cups. 

MOJO VERDE (for fish or fowl)

2 large poblano peppers
8 ounces tomatillos, papery husks and cores removed, and rinsed
oil for sauté
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Spanish sherry vinegar
1/4 cup Roasted Garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons toasted and ground cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, lightly rub the poblanos and tomatillos with oil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 20 minutes. Put the poblanos in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand for about 15 minutes. Set the tomatillos aside to cool. Peel the poblanos and remove the stems and seeds. 

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until fairly smooth. Refrigerated, this will keep for up to 1 month. Works well with fish or fowl

MOLE ROJO

3 large ripe tomatoes
1 cup peanuts
8 ancho chiles
1/4 cup canola or peanut oil
1 ripe plantain, peeled, halved lengthwise and then crosswise
1 tablespoon annatto seeds
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 canela or cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/3 cup Roasted Garlic Oil or pure olive oil
3 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Spanish sherry vinegar
2 cups Chicken Stock
Kosher salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, slice the tomatoes crosswise in half, scrape out the seeds, place the tomatoes cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 20 minutes, let cool slightly, then remove and discard the skins and cores, reserve.  Roast the peanuts on a baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, let cool, then coarsely grind in a food processor and set aside. 

Toast the anchos in a small skillet over medium heat, soak in hot water to soften, drain, and remove the seeds and stems, reserve. Heat oil in a medium skillet over high heat, add the plantain slices and sauté until well browned and caramelized, remove and drain on paper towels. 

In a dry skillet, toast the annatto, allspice, cloves, and peppercorns until fragrant, let cool, then combine with the canela in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. 

In a blender, puree the anchos and chipotles until smooth, add the plantains, ground spices, and tomatoes and puree, reserve. 

Pour the garlic oil into a medium pot and heat over medium-high heat, when oil is very hot, add the puree and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the peanuts and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the chocolate and let it melt. Stir in the vinegar and chicken stock and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt. Refrigerated, this keeps for 1 month. Makes 4 cups 

SUGARCANE MARINADE 

1 1/2 cups dark molasses
3/4 cup Spanish sherry vinegar
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup Creole mustard
1 1/2 cups top-quality canned tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Scotch bonnet chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, and pulse until smooth, refrigerate until needed. Keeps for 1 month. Use as a barbecue marinade with fowl. 

Aternate 1 with Tamarind: 

This is the marinade we use on the Tamarind Barbecued Duck with Smoky Plantain Crema.

Combine 1 1/4 cups Sugarcane Marinade with 1/2 cup tamarind pulp in a small pot and heat over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the tamarind. When the mixture just begins to simmer, remove from the heat and pass through a coarse strainer. Let cool.

TANDOORI CHICKEN MARINADE

2 large cloves garlic
1 tb chopped fresh ginger root
1 ts ground roasted cumin seeds
1/2 ts ground cardamom
1/2 ts red pepper
1 ts tandoori coloring, or 1 tablespoon paprika
1/3 c plain yogurt
Optional additions: 2 ts ground coriander, 1 ts ground cumin, 1/2 ts ground turmeric

Put all the ingredients of the marinade into the container of an electric blender or food processor, and blend until reduced to a smooth sauce. (Alternatively, garlic and ginger may be crushed to a paste and blended with the remaining ingredients.)
Pour this marinade over the chicken pieces and mix, turning and tossing, to coat all the pieces well. Cover and marinate for 4 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight, turning several times.

TURKISH MINT YOGURT MARINADE 

1 c plain yogurt
2 tb fresh lemon juice
1 ts grated lemon peel
1 c chopped fresh mint
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 ts salt
1/2 ts ground cinnamon
1/2 ts cayenne pepper
1/4 ts ground allspice

Whisk yogurt, lemon juice and peel in small bowl until smooth, add mint, garlic, salt, cinnamon, cayenne and allspice. Makes about 1 1/2 cups 

Marinate lamb or chicken in half of marinade for least 1 hour or up to 4 hours in refrigerator. Remove from marinade, leaving thin coating of marinade on lamb or chicken and grill. Serve the remaining half of marinade separately - it makes a good dip for crudités or pita bread.