Ever since my wife convinced me that we needed a gas grill, I've looked forward to each new grilling season with the kind of passion that Mets fans anticipate opening day with. That's not to say I'm strictly a fair weather grilling guy—far from it. I've spent many an Arctic evening shivering in the backyard, armed only with a flashlight and a ramekin of extra marinade, all in the name of new culinary conquests. But as with baseball, the first truly Spring-like day of the year frames the practice of grilling with particular romance. The authenticity and immediate satisfaction of it remind us that we're alive—living, breathing, and sentient beings.
So to celebrate Springtime's descent upon the metro NYC area, I burned a pair of turkeyburgers beyond all recognition, unloaded a mouthful of profanity at no one in particular, and then angrily shook a collection of long, metal utensils at the sky. When I produced the charred remains to my wife—somehow implying that dinner was now "ready"—my confidence was hovering at an historic low. But by quickly disposing of the evidence associated with this epic failure, I think I lowered the risk of its lingering influence tarnishing our next meal. So we did what any practical urbanites would do: smothered the burgers in wasabi ketchup, threw them down the hatch, and agreed to never speak of the incident again. And just as I'd hoped, it wasn't long before I'd once again taken up my place behind the grill with a renewed sense of determination, where experiments with the following marinades offered truly interstellar results.
Cajun Shrimp Marinade
I'm a relative stranger to Cajun cooking, but my customary prowling of the food blogs had lately left me craving something a little bit spicier than usual. And since the arrival of grilling season happens to coincide with the arrival of allergy season, I was floored to concoct this marinade, which is both tasty and sinus-clearing.
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- juice from one whole lemon
- 4 tbsp. hot pepper sauce of your choice (I used a combination of Cholula, Frank's, and habanero Tabasco)
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 -1.5 pounds of shrimp, unshelled, deveined, tails off.
- wooden skewers (optional)
As with most marinades, all quantities are approximate and I'll proudly admit that I didn't soil a single measuring implement in my version of this one. Just remember to taste it and add more of whatever flavors you like best before you toss in the raw shrimp.
- Mix all ingredients together and let the shrimp marinate for no more than two hours.
- If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 15 minutes, and then thread the shrimp on by piercing each piece once near the head and once near the tail. (Note: skewering is recommended because A) shrimp cook quickly, thus you'll be able to flip them more efficiently, and B) nothing sucks worse than seafood falling through the slats of your grill, and skewers prevent this from happening. If you're stubborn, at least use a slotted grill tray.)
- Lightly oil your grilling surface and prepare for medium-low cooking.
- Add skewers and cook several minutes per side, depending how large your beasties are. Remove from heat once they are opaque, and eat 'em up. We threw ours on a salad, cracked open a cheap bottle of rosé, and heralded the arrival of warm weather in our most preferred manner.
The next day, we inflicted what some might call a true indignity upon the Kenmore brand name by making grilled tofu. Let me pause here to state that like many of you, I went through the customary teenage vegetarian phase sometime in 1988 or 89. I can now freely admit that my primary motivation wasn't a desire for healthier eating habits, but my infatuation with an unattainable alterna-babe from my high school. She was a vegetarian, and I thought that by copying her diet, she might feel sympathetic towards me and reward me with a date. Instead, she acknowledged my gesture by making me a Roxy Music tape (encouraging!), and then writing something creepy in my yearbook (less so!)
Suffice to say, my relationship with popular vegetarian ingredients has seen its ups and downs in the ensuing years. Only recently did I brave making a tempeh-based dish, and after shucking the peculiar and knobbly-looking slab from its wrapping, I was only able to summon the bravery to chop it up for tacos. Tofu and I go way back, all the way to the dark years of the Clinton administration when making vegetable stir fry was regarded as exotic. But even then, the tofu was simply diced up and thrown in for texture—I'd never made more than a passing attempt to marinate it, and when I did, having it taste faintly of salt was considered a success. So imagine my joy upon discovering that something as simple and pedestrian as English Breakfast Tea could act as a secret weapon for flavoring this most stubborn offspring of the soybean.
Tea-Marinated Tofu Steaks with Mushrooms
- 1 14 oz. package of extra firm tofu
- 1/3 cup of strong-brewed Darjeeling or English Breakfast tea
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 piece of fresh ginger root (approx 2 inches long), peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- a few slices of clean and dried mushroom (shitake, portobello, etc.)
Measuring is a bit more key here, as gushy tofu can easily break up on the grill, but there's still wiggle room for you to adjust as you see fit (less soy sauce, more tea, vice versa, etc.)
- Slice your tofu block horizontally into two slabs of equal thickness. Wrap them side by side in a few layers of paper towels, and place a heavy frying pan or skillet on top for 30 minutes to help drain the liquid out. Don't use one that's too heavy or else your tofu will squish!
- Add the other ingredients to a shallow baking dish that can accommodate both tofu slabs side by side. Stir well, so as to dissolve the sugar.
- Push mushrooms to side of dish and gently add tofu to marinade. Cover, refrigerate, and let soak for at least 4 hours (overnight is better), turning once.
- Prepare grill for medium heat. Give your slotted grill tray a quick shot of cooking spray, lay it on the grill, and wait for it to heat up.
- Using the most forgiving spatula in your possession, add the tofu to the hot grill and cook each side until pleasingly charred/crusty about the edges. Use the excess marinade to baste while cooking.
- Remember, tofu—like the vegetarians who love it—is gentle like a flower, so save the aerial flipping maneuvers for the burger n' dogs crowd. Serve with cilantro-lime rice, and sauteed Brussels sprouts. (Damning detail: Our recipe for the latter includes bacon, so once again it's up-against-the-wall for the Moosewood types.)
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