Greek marinade

I developed this when trying to replicate a local Greek restaurant’s roast chicken and potatoes. It’s good enough for a weeknight meal.

Mechanic

Built on a roughly 1:1 olive oil to lemon juice base, with red wine vinegar added for a sharper secondary acid. It needs more lemon than 1:1 suggests; start there and taste up.

Ingredients

• 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 15 ml red wine vinegar
• 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon MSG
• salt to taste

Method

Whisk all ingredients together. Taste: it should be clearly lemony, well-seasoned, and fragrant. Adjust lemon if you want more brightness.

Coat protein and marinate: 30 minutes for thin cuts, 2–4 hours for chops, up to overnight for bone-in.

To serve

On lamb or pork chops, chicken thighs, or fish. Doubles as a dressing for a Greek salad.

Notes

• An onion-forward variation replaces some lemon with grated or mashed onion (1:1:0.5 oil, onion, lemon).
• Works well with marjoram added alongside the oregano.
• For a herb-heavy version that also works on rice and salads, see Greek lemon and herb marinade.