Shish Kebabs: Easy, delicious meal on a stick

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> Shish kebabs: Easy, delicious meal on a stick

> Tara H.

> The Clarion-Ledger

>

> Call them kebabs, kabobs or shish kebabs - it doesn't matter. They look

> impressive, can be made in advance and are done in about 10 minutes on the

> grill. What more could you want?

>

> Just thinking about those juicy, succulent meat cubes with tasty, colorful,

> fresh vegetables (sometimes even fresh fruit) threaded together and seasoned

> to perfection makes me want to fire up my grill right now! Check out the

> list of common shish kabob questions below.

>

> Q: How should I cut the meat?

>

> A: First, trim all the visible fat. It'll cause flare ups if any drips into

> the flame. Cut beef, pork, lamb or chicken into quick, thorough cooking 1 or

> 2 inch-sized cubes. Your best bet for moist chicken kebabs is to buy

> boneless, cubed thigh meat rather than easy-to-dry-out breast meat. Leave a

> quarter inch of space between pieces on the skewer to ensure thorough

> cooking.

>

> Q: Can I use seafood?

>

> A: You bet. Scallops and firm fleshed fish like tuna or salmon hold its

> shape and adheres to the skewer better than flaky fish like cod, freshwater

> bass, perch and catfish. When using shrimp, thread the skewer through both

> the head and tail ends. Marinate fish and seafood no more than 30 minutes.

> Acid marinades (wine, vinegar, citrus) chemically " cook " seafood and toughen

> it.

>

> Q: Which vegetables should I use?

>

> A: Carrots, onions and yellow, red, orange and green bell peppers are tasty

> not to mention colorful and visually stimulating choices. Yellow squash,

> mushrooms, cherry or plum tomatoes, zucchini, washed and scrubbed baby

> potatoes are also good. Even sweet potato chunks are a tasty option; though

> they'll require a quick blanching to ensure fast cooking on the grill.

> Vegetables should be cut the same size to ensure thorough, even cooking.

>

> Fruits cook faster than vegetables on the grill. Cut fruits like pineapple,

> banana or mango into larger chunks.

>

> Remember the following:

>

>

> Marinate meats, seafood in the refrigerator to prevent the growth of harmful

> bacteria, like Salmonella or Campylobacter. Don't reuse meat marinade as a

> basting liquid. Throw it away.

>

>

> Always wash hands after handling raw seafood or meat.

>

>

> Metal and disposable bamboo (wooden) skewers are usually found near plastic

> utensils, toothpicks, picnic supplies or boxed matches in grocery stores.

> Bamboo skewers are inexpensive, but must be soaked in water for at least 30

> minutes to prevent catching fire on the grill. Metal skewers cost more but

> are a good investment if you're going to shish kebab regularly.

>

>

>

> Coat skewers with cooking spray to prevent food from sticking to them.

>

> Put quick-cooking foods (vegetables, fruit, poultry, seafood) and

> longer-cooking items (beef, potatoes) on separate skewers. Want to combine

> them on one skewer? Simply make sure the faster cooking foods are cut into

> larger chunks than the slower cooking foods, so they'll both be done at the

> same time.

>

>

> Quick tip: Thread food on skewer, marinate in a large zipper-lock plastic

> bag for easy, no-mess clean up.

>

>

> Marvelous marinades: Olive oil, chopped garlic, red or white wine, basil,

> salt, pepper; fresh lemon or orange juice, chopped cilantro, olive oil,

> chopped garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes; your favorite Italian salad

> dressing.

>

> Don't want to marinate? Just brush kebabs with oil, sprinkle with salt,

> pepper and herbs like rosemary. Also, thread bay leaves between each chunk

> of food and grill, discard leaves as you eat.

>

>

>