Sauces & Marinades

Marinating time depends on the food and how acidic the marinade is. Fish and seafood need only 15 to 30 minutes, because acid starts to break down delicate flesh. Vegetables and tofu take 30 minutes to 2 hours. Larger, firmer cuts can marinate 2 to 24 hours. Marinades heavy in citrus juice or vinegar should be kept to the shorter end of each range, since long exposure makes the surface mushy. Always marinate in the refrigerator at 4 °C or colder, never on the counter.

Not as it is. A marinade that has touched raw protein can carry bacteria, so it must be brought to a full rolling boil for at least one minute before it is brushed on or served as a sauce. The simpler kitchen practice is to set aside a portion of fresh marinade before it touches raw food and use that for basting and serving. Never reuse a marinade for a second batch of raw food.

It depends on how much acid, salt and sugar the sauce has. Worcestershire, soy sauce and vinegar-based hot sauces keep 6 months or more after opening. Tomato-based BBQ sauces last about 1 to 4 months refrigerated. Dairy- or egg-based sauces such as aioli and creamy dips keep about 1 to 2 months refrigerated. Liquid smoke is very stable. Write the opening date on every jug, keep lids clean and follow the best-before date on the label.

Liquid smoke is wood smoke condensed into water, which gives food a smoky flavour without a smoker. Wright’s Hickory Liquid Smoke, for example, is made from water and natural hickory smoke concentrate. It is very strong: start with about 2.5 mL (1/2 teaspoon) per 250 mL (1 cup) of BBQ sauce or marinade and adjust to taste. A 3.78 L jug flavours more than 350 L of sauce at that rate. Add it to wet ingredients rather than straight onto food so it spreads evenly.

All three are chili sauces from Huy Fong Foods, but they differ in texture and garlic. Sriracha is a smooth sauce of red chili, garlic, sugar, salt and vinegar, used as a table sauce and in mayo dips. Chili garlic sauce is coarse-ground chili with visible garlic, used in stir-fries and dumpling dips. Sambal oelek is coarse-ground chili without garlic, so it adds clean heat to curries, soups and marinades without changing the flavour. All three are sold in 739 mL bottles and 3.5 L food service jars.

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