1. Prepare or buy your marinade. Grab one from the grocery shelves or make your own -- a homemade version should typically include an oil, an acid (like vinegar), and a few aromatics (like garlic or herbs) that go well together.
2. Pour your marinade into a large Ziploc bag -- then add meat, chicken, fish, or tofu making sure the food is coated with marinade. You can also use a pan, but the bag will minimize wasted marinade.
3. Let the marinade sit for a while in the refrigerator, flipping the bag over periodically. The exact time will vary based on what it is you’re marinating. Fish, for instance, only needs about 20 minutes, especially if you’re using lemon juice in the marinade. Chicken, meat, and tofu typically need a minimum of two hours, but they can soak for as long as overnight.
4. Looking for a quick fix? You can speed up the marinating process of chicken and meat by allowing the marinade to sit out at room temperature for an hour. For safety, though, don’t ever let meat sit out longer than 60 minutes!
5. Another option is to freeze chicken and meat in Ziploc bags with the marinade. The meat will then marinate as it defrosts in the fridge.
6. Be sure to toss out your marinade after you’re finished.
Nestpert: Carla Hall cooked her way into the finals on season five of the award winning Bravo show, Top Chef. Today, she continues to cook from the heart as an entertaining expert, and owner and Executive Chef of Alchemy Caterers in Washington, DC.
-- The Nest Editors
May 10, 2010
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