Cooking Lesson #1012: Mediterranean -Inspired Chicken Marinade

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? I don’t know about you, but I have been following the governmental food fights in Washington D.C. Robert Kennedy, Jr. has certainly raised the consciousness of everyone who eats and follows nutritional news. Steak & Shake has already switched over their frying oil from seed oil to beef tallow. 
 
I have always read food labels and shied away from those products that have too many ingredients I can’t even pronounce. Yes, I’m a trained chef and always like to prepare most of my home meals from scratch, but I still look at ingredient listings.
 
I cook a lot of chicken… it’s quick and easy, perceived healthy and I just love the taste and the versatility of it being a blank canvas—I can make chicken taste like almost anything.
 
Many people rely on bottled marinades or pre-marinated chicken. But why??? Once you realize just how ridiculously simple it is to make your own you won’t want to go back to a store bottled brand. It just takes just a few pantry staples to whip together a flavorful marinade for chicken (or any other meat or fish, for that matter).
 
My Mediterranean-inspired marinade uses just three basic ingredients—olive oil, lemons and garlic—to infuse chicken with loads of tangy, savory flavor. Adding some herbs lends extra zip taking it up a notch. Even without added seasoning, you can count on your chicken being anything but dry, tasteless or boring.
 
Acid (from the lemon juice in this recipe) is a key ingredient in many marinades because it helps tenderize the meat. However, despite the good that lemon (or other citrus) juice and vinegar provide, they have to be used with caution because they’re so acidic that the chicken may get stringy and mushy if marinated for too long. The key is to let your chicken marinade for as little as 30 minutes to reap its benefits, but no longer than 4 hours—never overnight.
 
My simple marinated chicken (thighs or breasts) is perfect for both grilling and baking. To grill, heat your gas or charcoal grill to direct medium-high heat and oil the grates well. Cook, flipping halfway through until grill marks appear and the chicken is cooked through. Alternatively, place the chicken in a lightly oiled baking dish and bake at 425°F. Whether you grill or bake the chicken, the chicken is done when it registers 165°F with an instant-read thermometer—the exact timing will depend on the thickness of the chicken. 
 
You can also experiment with dried herb and spice blends like Italian seasoning, herbes de Provence, or even za’atar.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  2/3 cup marinade / enough marinade to coat 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken, which will serve about 4 people. You can halve, double, or triple the recipe as needed.
 
Ingredients 
4 cloves fresh garlic
2 medium lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons dried or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, rosemary, thyme, or a combination (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken pieces (bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless)
 
Directions

1. Finely grate or press the garlic and zest 1 lemon into a medium jar with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Squeeze the juice from the zested lemon and the remaining lemon into the jar (about 1/3 cup).
3. Add the olive oil, herbs (if using), salt and pepper. Shake to combine.
4. Combine the chicken and the marinade in a medium bowl and toss to coat.
5.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, no longer than 4 hours.
6. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting any excess marinade drip off back into the bowl, before cooking.
7. Discard the marinade.

Flavor It Up a Bit: Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard into the marinade or add a half teaspoon red pepper flakes for a touch of spice. You can also mellow out the tart citrus notes by bringing some sweetness 1 or 2 teaspoons of honey.
Herbs and spices are also an option, with fresh or dried oregano, rosemary and thyme, herbes de Provence, or even za’atar are complementary Mediterranean herbs, alone or in combination, depending on what you have on hand are perfect additions.

ChefSecret: My marinade recipe works well with bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless—chicken breasts, thighs, legs, drumsticks, wings or any combination.

Quip of the Day:  Q. Who was the most ruthless chicken leader of all time? A. Attila the Hen!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
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