Showing posts with label adobo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adobo. Show all posts

Saturday, May 29, 2021

PUNCH UP THE FLAVOR WITH ADOBO MARINADE

 I´ve got just the marinade for your weekend grilling. Adobo. Adobo marinade is usually used for fish or meat to preserve it a few days. But the strong flavors work well for a last minute rub. I used it with chunks of rape--that's Spanish for monkfish or angler fish--then threaded them on skewers with peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes. For two, we're not firing up the grill on the patio. The kebabs are so fast on a grill pan.


 
Monkfish kebabs on a bed of quick-cooking couscous with a side of first green beans from the garden. 


No sauce is needed. Adobo punches up the flavor and keeps fish moist. Lemon on the side for extra tang; a few toasted pine nuts scattered over all.


Skewered fish cooks in under 5 minutes.


Adobo Marinated Fish Kebabs
Brochetas de Rape Adobado


Any firm-fleshed fish works well. Try shark (cazón in Spanish), swordfish, tuna, mackerel, halibut or grouper.

Serves 4.

6-inch bamboo skewers
1 pound boneless monkfish
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sweet pimentón (paprika, not smoked)
¼ teaspoon smoked hot pimentón
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Pinch of cumin seeds
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil + more for vegetables and grill pan
1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon water
Green bell pepper
Onion
Cherry tomatoes
Coarse salt
Lemon slices, to serve


Soak the skewers in water.

Cut the monkfish into 1 ¼ -inch cubes and place them in a bowl.

Marinade mix.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, two kinds of pimentón, oregano, parsley, cumin, salt, 2 tablespoons of oil, vinegar and water. Mix well and pour over the fish. Stir to coat all of the pieces of fish. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes (or cover and refrigerate for up to an hour).

Cut the pepper and onion into 1 ½-inch pieces. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Combine them in a bowl and sprinkle with a little oil. Mix to coat the vegetables.


Marinated fish skewered with onions, peppers, tomatoes, ready to grill.

Drain the soaked skewers and wipe them dry. Thread one skewer with one cube of fish. Thread remaining skewers alternating with halves of tomato, cubes of fish, slices of pepper, and pieces of onion.

Grill kebabs on gas or charcoal barbecue, on a flat grill pan or in a cast iron skillet.

Heat a flat grill pan, brush it lightly with oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Lay the fish kebabs on the grill. Moderate the heat so they don’t scorch. Grill about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the skewer with one cube of fish and check it for doneness. The fish should be opaque in the center and flake easily. 

Serve the kebabs hot or room temperature with lemon slices.



More versions of adobo:






More about monkfish here.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

ADOBO--ANOTHER TANGY MARINADE

Marinated fried fish.
Last week I wrote about escabeche, a tangy marinade used for cooked foods. To follow up on that, here is another popular marinade, adobo.

Adobo is a mixture of spices and vinegar used to marinate fish or meat before cooking. Before the days of refrigeration, both adobo and escabeche were used to conserve foods.

Fish in adobo marinade.
Adobo marinades usually contain wine vinegar, oregano, garlic and pimentón (paprika). Pork and solid-fleshed fish such as shark are good candidates for adobo marinades. The food to be marinated is submerged in the mixture for 24 hours (for fish) to several days (for meat). A whole pork loin in its vinegar marinade would keep for a week or two in cold weather. Then it could be sliced and fried in oil to make a quick and satisfying meal.

Bienmesabe 
Bites of Marinated Fish

This is a popular tapa throughout Andalusia. Bienmesabe means, more or less, “yummies.” The tapa is also called cazón en adobo. Cazón is tope shark or dogfish, which is perked up nicely with a tangy, adobo marinade. Any solid-fleshed fish, such as monkfish (angler fish), could be substituted. I used small pintaroja, (lesser spotted dogfish), cut crosswise into chunks. 

Makes about 45 pieces.

Shake off excess flour.
2 pounds shark or angler fish (monkfish) fillets
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
3 cloves chopped garlic
¼ teaspoon pimentón (paprika)
¼ teaspoon hot pimentón (optional)
1 teaspoon crumbled dry oregano
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Flour for dredging fish
Olive oil for frying

Cut the fish into 1 ½-inch cubes, discarding any skin and bone. Put the cubes in a non-reactive container.

Mix together the oil, vinegar, water, garlic, pimentón, oregano, pepper and salt. Pour over the fish and mix well. Marinate for at least 6 hours and up 48 hours.

Drain the fish well, dredge it in flour, shake off the excess and fry the pieces a few at a time in hot oil until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen towels and serve hot.

Fish in adobo has tangy flavor.