Midsummer is all about friends, fun in nature and, of course, tasty food. And it's usually cooked over a campfire or on the barbecue. So here are some practical tips on how and what to cook when you're outdoors, so that you can have a delicious evening and keep both big and small picnickers happy.
Shish kebabs
A classic of the classics - our shops are particularly well stocked in the run-up to Midsummer. And many of them have their own secret, branded, most special recipe. So a few tricks when choosing them will really make them:
- The tastiest shashlik is made with neck. This part of the pork is the softest, and the fat in the meat melts during cooking, making it even juicier and tastier. You can also use shoulder or ham to make shish kebabs, but bear in mind that the marinating time is much longer to enjoy the tender and tasty meat: the dense structure of the muscles makes it slower for the spices and the marinade to penetrate. Shish kebabs made from such meat should be kept in a traditional marinade for at least a day, and ideally for several.
- Cut the meat into 4-5 cm pieces. These pieces will be easier to cook and will not dry out as quickly.
- Anything with a little acid is suitable for marinating. These include the well-known onions, kefir, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, apple juice, pineapple juice, kiwi, etc.
- Avoid unnatural marinades such as mayonnaise. They are often not the healthiest and produce compounds that are harmful to health. And for those who say you live once and haven't eaten enough: meat marinated in mayonnaise must be cooked at a low temperature. Pieces marinated in mayonnaise in the heat burn extremely quickly
- If you are cooking with onions (chopped, softened onions), do not forget to clean them thoroughly from the meat when you are cooking on the spit. Onion pieces are small and onion has a slight sweetness. And as you know, what is sweet caramelises and burns very quickly over the coals
- It is not advisable to pickle with vinegar - you will lose a lot of the flavour of the meat and the spices. Rather, use it to baste the pieces of meat before cooking them on the spit.
- If you need a quick marinade, you can use kiwifruit, pomegranate or pineapple juice. However, be very careful not to store more than a few hours. Otherwise, the meat will start to change its texture, slowly turning into mush.
- Cook the pieces of meat on a skewer without pressing them together. However, it is not a good idea to leave gaps.
Potatoes
Baked potatoes are a dish that many people remember from their childhood, often with laughter or sadness. So how do you make a potato that tastes fantastic and doesn't burn?
- Choose last year's potatoes for grilling. Wash them thoroughly but do not peel them. The thicker skin will help prevent burning. Of course, fresh potatoes are fine for frying, but you'll have to check them more often to see if they are cooked.
- Small fresh fries are very tasty. Wash them thoroughly and wrap them in foil, not one at a time, but a handful together.
- Cut the potatoes in half and add something greasy in between - it could be a piece of butter, bacon or bacon. If you don't have any, add oil. However, be aware that the potato will not crisp up as nicely with oil.
- You can also cut the potatoes in other ways and prepare them Swedish style. Cut the potato crosswise into narrow slices. Do not cut all the way through so that the slices stick together (see Hasselback potatoe). Add oil or bacon, minced meat and your favourite spices to the spaces and wrap in foil. At the end of the baking time, remove the foil from the top and add the cheese. The potato will be both nicely browned and extremely tasty.
- The classic potato seasonings are cumin, garlic, pepper and salt, and the traditional Lithuanian product, koštinis, goes wonderfully with the potato.
- Wrap the potato in foil, but do not spare the foil. I recommend that you choose foil with a thickness of 12-13 microns from specialised shops. It is much thicker, less likely to tear and uses much less of it.
Vegetables
Spice up your Midsummer menu with grilled vegetables - it will be both delicious and healthy.
- The most popular vegetable for grilling is zucchini. Of course, you can also grill peppers, aubergines, tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, etc. There are many people who don't like peppers, and tomatoes stick to the grill or fall off the skewers.
- When preparing to grill, cut the vegetables as coarsely as possible: they shrink a lot when grilling and often fall through the gaps. Also, when grilling, do not turn the grill itself, but turn the vegetables over. The same advice applies to mushrooms.
- Other options for convenient grilling are to grill the vegetables in a metal pan with small holes or to skewer them on wooden skewers. In the latter case, remember to soak them in water for at least 15 minutes - they won't burn as quickly.
- Vegetables can be cooked on skewers, which are easier to handle, take up less cooking space and do not fall directly onto the coals.
- Marinate vegetables and mushrooms for half an hour before frying. A simple recipe that goes with everything: a dash of oil, pepper, salt and, of course, garlic. Don't spare the latter. For a more interesting flavour, you can add your favourite herbs (e.g. oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc.), soya and honey, etc.
- Roast the vegetables briefly and over high heat. They do not have to be fully cooked and soft inside. It is very tasty when they are browned on the outside but still crisp on the inside. This will add extra texture to your dish (after all, shish kebabs, rice or bread, sauce).
