When it comes to cooking, apart from boiling and steaming, all other dishes like stir-frying, grilling, and braising require marinating the ingredients for a certain period of time. This is an important step that greatly affects the taste of the dish. Many people think that marinating just involves adding spices to the food, mixing them well, and then cooking. However, there are important principles to consider, especially regarding the marinating time.
Depending on the type of food and the cooking method, the marinating time may vary. As long as the ingredients are marinated for the appropriate amount of time, the spices will penetrate the food, making it more flavorful after cooking. So, what is the ideal marinating time for different types of food?
Fish, shrimp, squid
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Shrimp absorbs flavors easily, so you don’t need to marinate it for too long. If the shrimp is peeled, marinating it for 5 to 10 minutes is enough. If the shrimp is still with its shell, you can marinate it for a bit longer, around 15 to 20 minutes. Also, to retain the natural sweetness of the shrimp, it’s best to use the right amount of spices and not to overdo it.
For fish, you only need to marinate it for about 15 to 20 minutes, not longer. This is because fish has a natural sweetness and thin flesh, which absorbs spices quickly. If you marinate it for too long, the fish can become salty and watery, and it won’t taste as good when fried. Additionally, to help the spices penetrate the fish faster, you can score shallow cuts on the fish before marinating.
When using squid for boiling, steaming, or making soup, it’s usually not marinated to maintain its natural sweetness. However, for stir-frying, grilling, or sautéing, marinating squid for around 15 to 30 minutes is recommended, but not longer.
A general note for marinating these three types of seafood is that the maximum marinating time should be 30 minutes, not exceeding 1 hour. Otherwise, the natural sweetness of the seafood will be lost, resulting in a less tasty dish.
Tofu
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Tofu is an easy-to-eat and versatile ingredient that can be cooked in various ways. For tofu dishes such as fried tofu or tofu soup, marinating is not necessary. However, for other tofu dishes, marinating tofu for a minimum of 20 minutes and a maximum of 12 hours is recommended. This allows the tofu to absorb the flavors and enhance its taste.
Chicken
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Boiled chicken doesn’t require marinating; you can simply clean the chicken and put it in boiling water. However, for other chicken dishes like frying, grilling, or stir-frying, marinating the chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 6 hours is recommended. If marinating for a longer time, you can put the chicken in a container, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it. Then, you can cook it as usual.
Lamb, beef, pork
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These three types of meat are tender, but they require sufficient marinating time to absorb the flavors. Therefore, for lamb, beef, and pork, the recommended minimum marinating time is 6 hours, and the maximum is 12 hours. However, if the meat is thinly sliced, marinating for 15 minutes is enough. Like chicken, when marinating lamb, beef, or pork for a long time, it’s advisable to place them in a container, seal it tightly, and refrigerate them.
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