Three easy marinades
These simple marinades use some shortcut ingredients and other items that you should find in your local supermarket. The marinades work well for any grilled meat or fish, prawns and tofu.
Ingredients
For the coronation-style marinade
- 1 tbsp medium curry powder
- 1 lime, juice (about 2 tbsp) and finely grated zest of ½ the lime
- 3 tbsp natural yogurt
- 1 tbsp mango chutney
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (optional)
For the Moroccan-style marinade
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tbsp harissa, ideally rose harissa
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp runny honey
- ½ tsp flaked sea salt or ¼ tsp fine salt
- coarsely ground black pepper
For the satay-style marinade
- 2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- ½ tbsp finely grated fresh root ginger or ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp soft light brown sugar
Method
For the coronation-style marinade, mix the curry powder, lime zest and juice, yogurt, mango chutney, oil and coriander (if using).
For the Moroccan-style marinade, flatten the garlic cloves with the end of a rolling pin or the side of a knife and transfer to a large bowl. Add the harissa, cumin, coriander, lemon juice, oil, honey, salt and lots of ground black pepper and stir well.
For the satay-style marinade, put the peanut butter in a bowl and stir or whisk in the soy sauce, oil, lime juice, ginger, chilli and sugar until thoroughly combined.
Add the protein of your choice and turn to coat in the marinade. The following options all work well: 2–3 chicken breasts (sliced or cubed), 400g/14oz chicken mini fillets, 4–6 boneless, skinless thighs (sliced or whole), 6–8 lamb cutlets, 500g/1lb 2oz cubed lamb leg, 4–6 lamb chops, 400g/14oz lean beef steak (cut into strips), 300g/10½oz cubed skinless fish fillet, 4 thick fish fillets or 400g/14oz cubed tofu.
Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2–3 hours, or overnight. Griddle, barbecue or grill, threading onto wooden or metal skewers first if you like.
Recipe Tips
For the satay-style marinade, add 1 tbsp lemongrass purée to the marinade for a more authentic flavour.