Recipe: Cinnamon-Orange Marinade

CINNAMON-ORANGE MARINADE

"This marinade comes from the Caucasus Mountains in the Republic of Georgia, where it's used to flavor a game hen dish called tabaka. I first sampled it at a wonderful imperial Russian restaurant in the Boston of my youth called The Hermitage and while I've eaten it many times since then, I've never had a tabaka I liked quite as much. The traditional way to cook tabaka is by panfrying, but the cinnamon-orange marinade - heated with ginger and hot pepper flakes - makes an exotic seasoning for grilling."

3 oranges
2 limes
1 lemon
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches each)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the side of a cleaver
3 slices (1/4-inch) fresh ginger root, crushed with the side of a cleaver
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or to taste
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Using a vegetable peeler, remove 1 strip of orange zest, 1 strip of lime zest, and 1 strip of lemon zest and set aside. Juice the oranges, limes and lemon.

Place the citrus juices and zests, the wine, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, and pepper in a heavy nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and cool to room temperature. Stir in the onion, paprika, sugar, salt, hot pepper flakes, nutmeg and oil. Use right away or transfer to a large jar, cover and refrigerate. The marinade will keep for up to 5 days.

TO USE THE MARINADE:
Arrange the meat of fish in a glass baking dish. Pour the marinade over the meat, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for as little as 6 hours or as long as overnight (the longer the better), turning once or twice.

Makes 2 cups; enough for 4 Cornish game hens, 1 chicken, or 2 pounds of pork
Source: Barbecue! Bible: Sauces, Rubs and Marinades, Bastes, Butters and Glazes" by Steve Raichlen