What it is.
To marinate is to leave food in a mix of flavors before you cook it. A marinade often has salt, an acid like lemon or vinegar, oil, and herbs or spices.
Chicken, meat, fish, tofu and vegetables are marinated, from a few minutes to overnight.
Why it works.
Most of a marinade stays on the outside. Flavor only soaks in a few millimeters, even overnight.
Salt is the part that goes deeper over time. It seasons the meat and helps it hold on to its juice as it cooks.
Acid works on the surface. A little brightens the flavor. Too much, for too long, turns the outside soft and mushy, and fish turns white as if cooked.
Sugar and honey help the outside brown, but they burn fast.
What to look for.
- Every side is coated.
- Fish in lemon turns white at the edges within minutes.
- Keep it covered in the fridge while it waits.
Common mistakes.
- Fish or shrimp went mushy.
- In a lemon or vinegar marinade, give it minutes, not hours.
- It would not brown in the pan.
- Let the extra marinade drip off, or pat the food dry.
- It burned before it cooked through.
- A sweet marinade needs lower heat. Turn it down.
- You want to use the marinade as a sauce.
- Keep some aside before the raw meat goes in, or boil it first.
