By the live fire

In the Muslim East, lamb is most often used for grilling. Actually, translated from Turkish, the word “shish” (it is from it that the Russian “kebab” comes) means at the same time just the meat of a young lamb, and the same meat, but already baked over an open fire. Americans prefer beef: the most common variety of American barbecue meat is burgers (chopped steaks) and steaks grilled and garnished with a variety of sauces.

If we talk about Russia, then we cook mostly pork on the grill. It is not surprising: the meat is more tender than beef, and more common in our northern latitudes than lamb. Marinate pork before frying. Ready-made marinades, which are sold in stores, most often contain vinegar – it gives the meat a pleasant sourness, protects the kebab from souring, and it works very quickly – the desired taste is acquired in two to three hours. However, recipes with vinegar have two drawbacks: firstly, barbecue prepared in this way is not suitable for people with gastrointestinal diseases, and secondly, meat dries very quickly from vinegar: leave it in the marinade not for three hours, but let’s say , overnight – and your barbecue will acquire the density of soles. In most cases, vinegar can be perfectly replaced with lemon juice, but this is far from the limit of fantasy.

Barbecue marinated in kefir has ceased to be a rarity in our area, but in general, sour-milk marinades in Russia are still not very popular. Try experimenting: replace kefir with natural yogurt or yogurt, flavor it with a couple of tablespoons of strong saffron infusion and a pinch of spices – and you will feel that the taste of meat has acquired new pleasant shades. A similar marinade (it can be called Indian, because the tradition of soaking meat in sour-milk products came to us from India) will suit both pork and chicken.

An excellent base for a marinade is olive oil: its thick consistency helps the flavor to penetrate into the tissue of the product. By mixing oil with various herbs, garlic and lemon juice, you get a versatile marinade that is equally appropriate with fish, poultry and vegetables. Also, carbonated mineral water can be used as a basis for marinade for fish: bubbles will speed up the process of absorbing aromas (fish should not be marinated for too long, otherwise it will lose its shape during frying), and the natural mineral salts contained in it will enrich the taste of the dish.

However, no matter what you fry – meat or fish, vegetables or poultry – and whatever the marinade, it is important to remember one basic principle: the more often you brush the product with marinade during frying, the better the result will be. If the marinade is liquid, use a spoon; if it is thick, a brush is better. And do not be afraid that the drops will fall on the coals – the fragrance that will spread in the air at the same time will make all participants in the process huddle even closer around the fire. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Three variations for brazier “with orchestra”

For 4 persons. Cooking time: 10–12 min. Grilled.

Grilled zucchini

• 2 zucchini
• 2/3 st. l. olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried garlic, onion, thyme, oregano, basil, salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Dip the zucchini in boiling water, blanch for 5 minutes, remove and cut in half lengthwise. Mix olive oil, herbs, salt. Pour the marinade over the zucchini and leave for 6 hours in a cool place, during which time turn over two or three times. Fry on a wire rack, turning occasionally and basting with the remaining marinade.

Pork in honey-lemon sauce

• 4 portions of pork neck (200 g each)
• 3 Art. l. liquid honey
• Large lemon juice
• 1 large onion
• 1,5 st. l. peppers
• 1 tsp. salt

Mix lemon juice, honey, salt and paprika, add onion, cut into half rings. Lightly beat off the meat, put it in a bowl and pour over the marinade. Leave for 6 hours in a cool place, during this time turn over two or three times. Fry on a wire rack, turning from time to time and basting frequently with the remaining marinade.

Salmon with cedar oil

• 4 pieces of salmon (170–200 g each)
• 5 st. l. carbonated mineral water (for example, Borjomi, Perrier or St. Pellegrino)
• 5 Art. l. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. dried mint and salt
• 50 g butter
• 50 g pine nuts

Mix mineral water, lemon juice, mint and salt. Pour the fish with the resulting marinade and leave for 3 hours in a cool place, during which time turn over once. Roast pine nuts in a dry frying pan, chop in a blender and mix with softened butter. Put the resulting mass in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Fry the fish on a grill, put on a dish and decorate each piece with a ball of cedar oil.