Topic: mickdabass' Ultimate Tikka Marinade

[RubyDoo]

I hope you don't mind me saying, but you'd be far better off using aniseed instead of star anise.

Don't mind at all but my experience of aniseed is that it does not have the freshness or intensity of star anise or fennel even. Admittedly I have never ground star anise like this but there is always a first time and it smells good. I take the point mentioned earlier about using the star whole but I do not think that would give the depth as intended here.

[Malc.]

Don't mind at all but my experience of aniseed is that it does not have the freshness or intensity of star anise or fennel even...

I am quite surprised at this comment as characteristically, I would describe aniseed as being the freshest and purest form of the aniseed flavour providers. Certainly much more so than fennel which, in comparison, is dull. Could it be that the sample you tried was past it's best?

[RubyDoo]

Could it be that the sample you tried was past it's best?

quite possibly and and I suppose I shall never know unless I get some more.  This was sourced from dadu's in Tooting, well known and a good suppler but , hey ho, being an aniseed freek  ( balls and all ) I thought the stuff very bland.

[DalPuri]

  This was sourced from dadu's in Tooting, well known and a good supplier

Dadu's is expensive! and although a big shop, not very well stocked. Get yourself across the road to Bhavins.
The only place in Tooting i found that sells Mr. Naga and fresh naga chillies.  And Jalpur brand.
Cheaper and busier.

Cheers, Frank. 

[RubyDoo]

  This was sourced from dadu's in Tooting, well known and a good supplier

Dadu's is expensive! and although a big shop, not very well stocked. Get yourself across the road to Bhavins.
The only place in Tooting i found that sells Mr. Naga and fresh naga chillies.  And Jalpur brand.
Cheaper and busier.

Cheers, Frank. 

Thanks for that Frank. Haven't been there for ages. Being in the Carshalton area I have been too lazy since retiring to get my sorry ar*e back there. Will make the effort to look at Bhavins though. Do they do pans etc as well?

[Micky Tikka]

Couple of shops to the left of Bhavins do pans 

[RubyDoo]

Oh dear , oh dear oh dear oh dear   ( point made ? )  Oh dear

This was the mutt's nuts for want of an more eloquent expression.
Mick - you have won the prize so far as far as I am concerned.

Comments and pics -
The marinade did not obviously thicken overnight as suggested and I still maintain that this quantity is good for far larger quantity of chicken. Deffo darker in colour than Blade's. ( Pics not good but here goes. ) I am defrosting another 4 large ones to reuse in this marinade before throwing.


On cooking, smelt a bit more intense than Blade's probs due to the aniseed flavours. I still restricted myself to the 2 mins on each quarter turn on full grill 2" down.


The eating  - oh dear oh dear oh dear   ( here I go again  )
had some for lunch fresh out of the grill ( who could resist? ) with some fresh Dipuraja's Mint Sauce and a handful of cheaty boy's 'from the shop' salad bag and a sprinkling of coriander.


Conclusion.
Best tikka I have ( I am fairly sure )  ever had - restaurant included.

Why?
Maybe something to do with the fact that I cooked it. The chicken was succulent to the point of dripping for which I take credit for sticking rigidly to cooking times despite it not looking cooked under grill. The flavour was intense, the colour right not garish, and the mint sauce just topped it off.

Do not get me wrong, Blade's 'better than BIR' is also very good and I will try it again certainly but with much reduced salt which may have been the swinging factor here although I suspect even with that salt reduction Mick's will still win hands down.

Note - my opinion and my opinion only. Make / take what you want from it.    but hey guys  - if you have not done this then you are missing out.

Post script  -  I also believe that the way ( size ) I cut my chicken would result in under cooked tikka on these cooking times if it were not for the skewers I am using. They definitely help to cook the chicken from the inside as well due to the 8mm thickness.

[RubyDoo]

Did I mention that I liked this?     

Would also add that the absence of yogurt was, imho, a pleasant change ( as with Blade's ) in as much as that 'bittiness' was not there ( tacky to the mouth ish etc etc ) ?

Well known that lemon juice is just as good as a tenderiser as yogurt.

[mickdabass]

Thank you RubyDoo for taking the time to try my recipe.

I am very pleased you liked it

Best Regards

Mick

[RubyDoo]

Thank you RubyDoo for taking the time to try my recipe.

I am very pleased you liked it

Best Regards

Mick

Did I mention I liked it then?