Happy Independence Day!

Come Friday, Independence Day, grills will be fired up all over the Island, and beyond. Before you even put the charcoal and/or mesquite wood into the grill, make sure the cooking surface of yours is totally clean. Oil it while it’s cold. Then get it good and hot before applying the marinated chicken thighs or salmon filets This assures your meat does not stick.

Make your grilled meats or fish sing, “Eat me!” by marinating them for a few hours or overnight.  The day before the big bash, stir up the marinate and cut up the chicken if that’s what you’re having. If it’s to be a salmon filet, or steaks, Teriyaki sauce is a quick, easy, simple and delicious marinade that can go on as late as 20 minutes before you need to start grilling.  

   Marinade for Chicken
         Seasons 3 lbs.

¼ cup olive oil
½ cup Chardonnay or other white wine
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small or ½ big yellow onion, finely chopped
½ to 1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh, or ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

Mix all ingredients well.  Refrigerate in covered jar several hours or overnight to marry flavors. Stir. Pour over 3 lbs. of chicken thighs or pieces of cut up chicken in a large flat glass or ceramic dish. Chill 1 ½ hours. Turn chicken pieces. Chill another 11/2 hours. Now the chicken should be well infused with the marinade’s flavors.
Grill or bake, basting occasionally with leftover marinade.

        Marinade for
Sweet & Spicy Spareribs
         Seasons 3 lbs.

 ¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1 Tbsp prepared mustard or to taste
Dash red Tabasco sauce
1/3 cup lemon or lime juice

Combine all ingredients. Pour over ribs. Cover. Chill overnight, turning once. To cook: Grill 5 to 10 minutes on one side. Turn. Grill 5 minutes or so more. Place in foil packet. Bake with grill closed 30 minutes.
You might want to file this column between the pages of your favorite all-purpose cookbook. Space here doesn’t yield column inches for dealing with grilling of vegetables. Or beef or bison. We’ll try to get to them later.