1 Prawn skewers with basil marinade

Serves 4-6
Preparation time 10 minutes, plus marinating time
Cooking time 6 minutes
Oven temperature grill

• 500g prawns, cleaned and peeled, with tails left on
• 20ml olive oil
• 80ml melted butter
• juice of 1 large lemon
• 125ml finely chopped basil
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1. In a sealable container, whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the prawns and toss to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for one hour.
2. Thread the prawns onto skewers and grill under a hot grill or over hot coals for two to three minutes a side. The prawn tails should be bright pink and the meat opaque.

2 Lemon and herb
Whisk together 50ml lemon juice, 50ml dry white wine, 30ml olive oil, 10ml grated lemon zest and two cloves crushed garlic. Stir in 30ml freshly chopped thyme, rosemary, tarragon (for chicken or fish) or basil. Add one sliced lemon and pour over fish, chicken or pork. Marinate for 30 minutes to 12 hours.

3 Honey and mustard
Whisk together 125ml honey, 50ml hot English mustard, two cloves garlic, 20ml soya sauce and 30ml apple cider vinegar. Pour over meat, chicken or vegetables and marinate for one to 12 hours. Do not grill over coals that are too hot because the honey in the marinade will burn.

4 Peri-peri
Seed and chop two or three red chillies. Mix with 60ml lemon juice, 60ml sunflower or peanut oil, two cloves crushed garlic, 5ml ground cayenne pepper, 5ml ground paprika and 2ml dried origanum. Rub over chicken, seafood or beef. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes to 12 hours.

5 Spicy yoghurt
Mix 5ml ground cumin, 5ml ground coriander, 2ml ground cinnamon, 1ml ground cloves, 3ml chilli powder, 3ml ground ginger, 3ml ground turmeric and 5ml paprika. Cook while stirring in a dry frying pan for two minutes. Remove from the pan and mix with 300ml plain Greek yoghurt, four cloves crushed garlic and 15ml sunflower oil. Pour over chicken portions, chicken skewers or firm veggies and marinate for 30 to 60 minutes. Grill or bake and, once cooked, drizzle with lemon juice and garnish with fresh mint or coriander.

6 Red wine, garlic and rosemary
Slice one carrot, two onions, one celery stalk and four to six cloves garlic, and sauté until soft in 65ml olive oil in a saucepan. Add 750ml red wine, 125ml red wine vinegar, two bay leaves, two sprigs fresh rosemary (5ml dried), 12 whole peppercorns and six juniper berries (optional). Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 65ml olive oil. Cool completely and use to marinate beef, lamb, ostrich or game. Cover meat in the marinade and leave to marinate for one to 12 hours.

7 Hot Thai
Blend these ingredients in a liquidiser: one can coconut milk, one bunch (30g) fresh coriander, 60ml fish sauce, four cloves garlic, 5ml grated lemon zest, 25ml lime or lemon juice, 25ml freshly grated ginger, one or two red chillies (seeded), 15ml sugar and 15ml sesame (or sunflower) oil. Pour over red meat, chicken or seafood and leave to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

8 Barbeque
Fry one finely chopped onion in 30ml sunflower oil for about five minutes. Add 5ml dried mustard powder, 25ml Worcester sauce, 50ml port (optional), 300ml tomato sauce and seasoning to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes, remove from the heat and add 15ml lemon juice. Cool, add chicken or meat and leave to marinate for one to 12 hours. Baste with leftover marinade while cooking.

TIP Don’t leave seafood to marinate for longer than 30 minutes. The acidity in the marinade will start to break down the flesh of the seafood and the texture of the flesh will start to become soft and pulpy.

Text and image: Ideas magazine