Texas barbecue chicken
Avoid mistakes when it comes to barbecuing chicken and don’t apply the sweet sauce until the end to avoid burning the meat. American marinades are a combination of dry spices with sweet and sour condiments that give meats their deep and sticky flavour.
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
¼ cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Pick Me Up)
2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
Salt, black pepper and dry mixed herbs
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until paste turns brick-red, about 2 minutes. Add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vinegar, orange juice, brown sugar, molasses, Pick Me Up sauce, mustard powder, and 3 cups water. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by half, 50-60 minutes; season with salt.
2. Prepare grill for medium heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper and dry mixed herbs and begin cooking, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, 15-20 minutes.
3. Continue grilling and turning, and begin basting with barbecue sauce often, until chicken is cooked through.
4. Set chicken aside and serve with more of the barbecue sauce.
Yoghurt lamb marinade
Makes enough for six chops. The yoghurt helps to soften and tenderise the meat.
150ml Greek yoghurt
1 large bunch of fresh herbs of your choice, finely chopped (parsley, mint and coriander)
2 teaspoon salt
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
1 small green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1. Mix together all the ingredients and then coat each piece of meat well. Put them into a freezer bag or shallow bowl and refrigerate for at least three hours, or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Tongan vanilla
barbecue sauce
Tonga is renowned for its vanilla beans, but so is Fiji! Try this with the Wainadoi vanilla beans from Spices of Fiji.
1 cup tomato ketchup/sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 fresh vanilla bean
1. Place all ingredients into a small sauce pan and whisk to combine. Heat on low heat for 5 minutes until flavours meld together.
2. Grill meat of your choice (try this with chicken wings!)
3. Baste with the vanilla barbecue sauce when the meat is nearly done. Serve with lashings more.
Hawaiian shoyu chicken
This recipe is similar to a Samoan barbecue chicken recipe but with the addition of dry spices to give the chicken more depth of flavour.
1 cup Kikkoman soy sauce
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup pineapple juice
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 kg chicken thighs
1 tablespoon corn starch
Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
1. In a large bowl or large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, onion, ginger root, black pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
2. Add the chicken thighs to the prepared marinade/shoyu sauce. Either cover the bowl with plastic wrap or seal the plastic bag. Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. Preheat barbecue grill. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade; reserve the marinade to make the glaze.
4. Place the chicken thighs on the hot grill. Cover barbecue with lid and open vents. Grill the chicken for approximately 15 minutes on each side, juices will run clear when.
While the chicken is grilling, make the glaze. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the remaining marinade. Add the corn starch, stirring constantly, until a low boil. Still stirring constantly, keep at a low boil (turn heat down if necessary), for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until the marinade mixture is reduced to a consistency of a syrupy glaze. Remove from heat and set aside until the chicken thighs are finished cooking.
Brush the prepared glaze over the grilled chicken thighs before serving.
Serve with cooked white rice. Glaze can also be drizzled over the rice.
African braai fish
Try this African recipe with plate sized fish or fish fillets
4 garlic cloves, chopped
7 tablespoons butter
½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons apricot jam
Juice of 1 lemon
1¾ tablespoons light soy sauce
3-7 tablespoons white wine (optional)
Dash of chili sauce (optional)
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil, to taste
1. Using small stockpot on fire or stove, lightly fry garlic in butter. Add apricot jam, lemon juice and any optional ingredients. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Stirring constantly, heat until melted and mixed.
2. On baking sheet lined loosely with double layer of aluminum foil, drizzle olive oil and place fish on top. Drizzle with prepared sauce. Gently rub and massage sauce onto and inside fish. Let marinate approximately 30 minutes.
3. Leave fish on foil, and slide on to grill for indirect cooking. Make a few small holes in foil to prevent pooling. Tear off excess foil.
4. Cook with grill lid closed for about 15 minutes, or until flesh flakes when lightly pressed. Slide foil with fish back onto baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Japanese yakiniku sauce
Makes 1/3 cup (100 ml) or sauce for 3-4 servings
2 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons mirin
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon miso
¼ teaspoon katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
1/8 of an apple
2 teaspoon roasted white sesame seeds
1. Add sake, mirin, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, miso, katsuobushi, and simmer for 1 ½ minutes.
2. Strain the sauce.
3. Add the sesame seeds and grated apple. Let the sauce sit for half day or overnight in the refrigerator to let the flavour mix well together.
Chimichurri
This Argentinian recipe is a green verde sauce that can be eaten with any grilled meats and seafood, and gives the dish a wonderful floral and herbal taste.
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) fresh coriander leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Puree all ingredients in processor. Transfer to bowl. Can be made two hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.
