One of the most common practises in the culinary world when it comes to cooking meat is marinating in an array of flavours to ensure that when the meat is cooked, it is as flavourful as possible.
Unfortunately, many people who haven’t grown up in areas where seafood is not as popular fail to translate the same cooking methods to popular proteins like fish.
But like meat, fish can taste even more delicious when marinated. Of course, fish is not the same as tough meats like beef. So, is it possible to marinate fish overnight?
It is best to avoid marinating your fish for longer than a few hours at a time or overnight as you risk ruining the texture of the fish. The longest you should marinate a fish is 2-3 hours, only if you are using firm fish steak.
How Long Do You Marinate Fish?
There is no one answer for how long you should marinate your fish as different kinds of fish have different levels of frailness that can cause the fish to crumble apart once cooked if left in the marinade for too long.
The best way to determine the maximum amount of time your fish should be left to marinate is to determine what fish you are using.
Generally, fish are divided into 2 cooking categories: flaky and firm.
As its name suggests, flaky fish has a softer, flakier quality, making it more delicate to work in the kitchen. You should only marinate flaky fish for up to 30 minutes.
Any longer and extra moisture in the fish will make it even more delicate and more likely to fall apart during cooking before you can serve it.
Firm fish can be in a marinade for significantly longer than flaky fish as they tend to be tougher and more solid; not so tough that they need a long acidic marinade like tough cuts of beef, but firm enough to not fall apart as easily when cooked.
Firm fish are still fragile so they should be marinaded for up to 1 hour and no longer, though you will want to allow at least 30 minutes of marinating time to allow the marinade to soak into the fish properly.
How To Marinate Fish Steaks
Most fish steaks commonly available in local fish markets or your supermarket will be firm fish. As such, as mentioned above, you will be able to marinate the fish for longer and allow it to soak up more flavour.
However, unlike regular firm fish fillets, firm fish steaks are significantly bigger, meaning that they are usually less delicate and can withstand even longer in a marinade to ensure they are as flavourful as possible throughout the steak.
You can typically leave a firm fish steak in a marinade for up to 2 hours but if you are short on time, allow at least 1 hour to allow the steak to soak up as much flavour as it can before it is cooked.
Why Should You Marinate Your Fish?
You may be questioning why you should marinate your fish, especially if you are cooking a delicate or softer fish that can only withstand a very small amount of time in a marinade.
However, when it comes to fish, a good marinade should do more than provide some extra flavour.
Regardless of the type of fish you cook, it is one of the easiest proteins to dry out. Even trained professional chefs often struggle presenting a perfectly moist piece of fish.
An oil-based marinade, like most fish marinades, helps to lock in as much natural moisture into the fish as possible and creates a kind of barrier in the fish to prevent it from drying out as easily.
So, no matter how confident you are at cooking fish, don’t skip the marinade.
Should You Marinate Fish In An Acidic Marinade?
You can make a marinade out of countless ingredients but on the whole, marinades tend to fall onto a scale based on their acidity levels.
After all, most proteins use marinades to make the meat or protein more flavourful and tenderise the protein — think tough cuts of beef or pork.
The last thing you should do is treat fish, even firm fish, like meat when putting together your marinade.
Too much acidity in your marinade can actually start to cook the fish, as you would in a ceviche, before it even reaches the stove, making it more likely that you will overcook an already delicate protein.
Instead, use a mild marinade for your fish.
You can use a few squeezes of lemon juice to brighten the fish up if you want but it is best to avoid any acidity at all in your fish marinade if you are not yet confident with cooking seafood.
Marinating Fish FAQs
Do you have further questions about marinating fish? Then check these out:
Salmon can withstand some pretty powerful flavours but it will work particularly well with Asian flavours such as chilli, soy, sesame, ginger and garlic.
When it comes to marinating cod, opt for something clean and simply. A little chilli and lime zest with a drizzle of oil will work well.
Sources
Where we obtain our information and verify the facts in this article:
Cafe Delites
Marinade for salmon
The Roasted root
Marinade for cod
Acacia may be a freelance writer by day, but they are a food fanatic by night. They are always trying out new recipes or finding different ways to elevate classical dishes. But their biggest culinary aim is to educate others on the basics of the kitchen so that they too can enjoy delicious food.