New adventures for grill pioneers

I begin with an encounter with a master of grilling in Spain. A few years ago, I came across a gem in the heart of the Basque Country: the restaurant Asador Etxebarri. Here, Chef Victor Arguinzoniz creates an unforgettable culinary experience centered around fire and fresh ingredients.

Arguinzoniz has turned grilling into an art form. The menu includes: grilled seafood, grilled meat, grilled vegetables such as bell peppers, asparagus, eggplant, and mushrooms. Even the desserts contain ingredients with smoky notes like grilled fruits or smoked chocolate. He uses self-developed grills in his kitchen that can be adjusted in height. This allows him to cook the ingredients at different temperatures, achieving what he considers the ideal texture and flavor for each ingredient. He also uses different types of charcoal for grilling his dishes, such as holm oak for fish or vine branches for meat, adding varying intensities of smoky aromas.

It's hardly surprising that gourmets and colleagues from all over the world travel to him to enjoy his art, isn't it? If you want to travel there yourself, here you will find the address: Asador Etxebarri

But I can also report interesting things about grilling from Japan.

For example, there are the handcrafted Konro grills- real rarities. They are made from diatomaceous earth, which are deposits of special algae. These grills can withstand very high temperatures. Traditionally, a special charcoal called Binchotan is used for grilling in these grills. The charcoal from Japanese Ubame oak can reach very high temperatures and produces very little smoke.

In the Chefino shop, you will find a selection of such Konro grills.

 

The Japanese marinades and sauces used in grilling differ from European marinades and sauces in their umami content. Umami, you probably already know, is the fifth taste sense. You can find out more about it here. I still remember when I was in Japan for the first time, a manufacturer told me: My sauce has twice as much umami as others. Umami was still quite new to me back then, and I had trouble imagining what his statement would mean in terms of taste. But it made me realize how important umami is to the Japanese!

Let's now look at two examples with interesting Japanese marinades.

1) Crispy chicken with seven-spice shichimi togarashi marinade

In this first recipe, we combine chicken wings and drumsticks with a spicy Japanese marinade called Shichimi Togarashi. Shichimi Togarashi translates to "7 spice chili mix" and is a Japanese spicy seasoning blend made from 7 ingredients, typically including chili peppers, mandarin peel, sesame, poppy seeds, hemp, nori, and ground sansho pepper.

We combine this spicy seasoning with some sesame oil, which adds nutty notes while slightly mellowing the heat, and with soy sauce to add umami to the whole.

• ½ Cup sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoon Shichimi Togarashi
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 pounds chicken wings

Preparation:

• Step 1: Prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, mix ½ cup sesame oil, 2 tablespoons seven-spice shichimi togarashi, ¼ cup soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons salt. Whisk well to combine all ingredients.

• Step 2: Pour three quarters of the marinade into a baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet and leave the remaining marinade in the bowl.

• Step 3: Place the chicken wings in the marinade and turn them four times to ensure they are well coated with the marinade.

• Step 4: Preheat the grill to high heat.

• Step 5: Place the wings on the grill and cook them for about 8 minutes. Turn them every minute and brush them with the marinade after each turn.

• Step 6: The chicken wings are done when they are crispy and golden brown.

Here is another way to prepare chicken meat completely differently. For this, we use Japanese Yuzu Kosho as a marinade. Yuzu Kosho is a typical Japanese seasoning paste based on Yuzu mixed with chili and salt. Compared to other chili pastes, Yuzu Kosho is not only spicy but also wonderfully lemony and fresh. This is because the Japanese Yuzu is used. Yuzu is the famous Japanese citrus fruit with the overwhelming aroma, which is now also used in European top restaurants. In this marinade, we again use soy sauce to add umami to the marinade.

Ingredients (for 4 people):

• 4 chicken breast halves without bone and skin (approx. 2 pounds)
• 2 Tablespoon Yuzu-Kosho
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ cup olive oil

Preparation:

• Step 1: Stir yuzu kosho, soy sauce, and olive oil in a bowl until a homogeneous mixture forms. This is the yuzu kosho marinade.

• Step 2: Preheat the grill to medium heat.

• Step 3: Place the chicken breast pieces on the grill and cook them for about 10 minutes, turning them every 2 minutes until they are browned and glossy.

• Step 4: After each turn, brush the chicken meat with the Yuzu-Kosho marinade using a pastry brush.

• Step 5: Let the chicken breasts rest for 2 minutes before serving.

• Step 6: Slice the chicken breast and serve.

Note: This marinade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Just stir it well before using it again.

I hope these recipes inspire you to your own culinary experiments. And who knows, maybe we'll see each other soon in Spain at Victor Arguinzoniz?


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