Sauces and Marinades

STEEPED IN FLAVOR

Easy Marinade Recipes from Around the World

After mixing the marinade, set aside a portion for basting during cooking. Pour the rest into a glass or stainless-steel dish just big enough to hold the meat or fish. The food need not be completely submerged in the marinade, but it should be turned several times to ensure even flavoring. Always keep food refrigerated while marinating.

Fish needs only 30 minutes to an hour of marinating; chicken can be marinated anywhere from 2-8 hours, depending on the intensity of flavor you are looking for; red meat is usually marinated overnight. Do not marinate meat too long or it will become mushy.

Be sure to drain or blot excess marinade from the food before grilling or broiling. (Wet food tends to steam rather than brown.) Once the surface is seared, you can baste it with the reserved marinade.

TERIYAKI MARINADE

The traditional sweetener for teriyaki is mirin (sweet rice wine), but if it is unavailable, use sake, sherry or white wine and increase the sugar slightly.

3 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup mirin

2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil

Combine scallions, garlic and ginger in a bowl. Whisk in soy sauce, mirin, maple syrup or brown sugar and sesame oil. Use with beef, lamb, poultry or seafood.

Makes 1 cup of marinade.

25 calories per tablespoon: 0g protein, 1g fat, 2g carbo; 142mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol.

VIETNAMESE LEMONGRASS MARINADE

4-6 stalks fresh lemongrass or ¼ cup dried lemongrass

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 shallots, minced

1 jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced

3 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons brown sugar, or to taste

1 teaspoon hot sauce, chili oil or Tabasco

If using fresh lemongrass, cut off the top 2/3 of each stalk and discard. Trim off the outside layer and root end, and slice thinly. If using dried lemongrass, soak in water for 30 minutes, then drain. Put all the ingredients in a blender and process to a coarse paste. Use with poultry or seafood.

Makes ¾ cup.

10 calories per tablespoon: 0g protein, 0g fat, 2g carbo; 43mg sodium; 1 mg choles.

(From Eating Well, Jan-Feb 1993)

GARLIC BUTTER

Makes 4-8 servings

Time: 10 minutes

Essential. Make this once, and it will become a friend forever. Use it on broiled or grilled fish or meats, on baked potatoes, rice or on noodles.

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ stick butter, at room temperature

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over low heat; add the garlic and cook just until the garlic softens, 2 or 3 minutes. Let cool.
2. Cream with softened butter; add salt, pepper, and lemon juice.