How to Make a Greek Lemon-Herb Marinade

This marinade, my grandmother's recipe, is a common flavoring agent in Greek food. It uses three ingredients common in Greek cooking: olive oil, lemon and oregano. It can be used to marinate vegetables, meat or fish, and it can also be used as a basting sauce when cooking. This recipe makes about a cup of marinade.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Groceries
• Chef's Knives
• Fruit And Vegetable Peelers
• Mixing Bowls
• Serving Platters
• 2/3 c. olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 c. or more fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt

1. Peel off one or two long strips of lemon zest with a vegetable peeler. Be careful to take just the the yellow zest, leaving the bitter white pith behind.
2. Mince the lemon zest finely - you should have about a tablespoon or so. Don't worry about exact measurements.
3. Place the zest in a mixing bowl with the salt and pepper.
4. Chop the oregano leaves roughly and add them to the bowl.
5. Grind or firmly mash the dry ingredients together with a sturdy wooden spoon, as if you were using a mortar and pestle. This helps free the essential oils in the lemon and oregano and blend them in with the salt and pepper.
6. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into the bowl.
7. Drizzle in the olive oil in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly with a wire whisk.
8. Use the mixture to marinate food before cooking or as a basting sauce when grilling or roasting food.

Tips & Warnings

• This marinade can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for several weeks. Mix or shake it well before using.
• Because this marinade contains acid and salt, it's best for short periods of time. Vegetables and seafood should marinate no longer than an hour; meat and poultry should no longer than three hours.
• Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
• Once you've used a marinade for raw meat, fish or poultry, discard it immediately after use.