Readers' Recipe Swap: Marinades

Miso honey salmon makes the most of a few ingredients to bring out the best in your fish. Photograph: Jill Mead for the GuardianMake the most of time and ingredients by soaking your food in a bath of deep and varied flavour, from ginger beer pork to tandoori fish and smoky aubergine.The joy of marinades lies in the ease of their preparation combined with a rewarding depth of flavour which you can only attain by playing the long game. To me, this kind of cooking is easily slotted into a busy day: make your marinade in the morning, then spend the afternoon reminding yourself of the slow-steeped treat you have to look forward to. Luckily for me, a dazzling array of marinated meat, fish, fruit and veg was what I needed as I packed to move house, and this week you really came up with the goods.First was a tandoori marinade from Rakesh Bargota; I used chicken thighs, which I barbecued over a medium heat. With heady saffron and perfectly spiced yoghurt, it was well worth every step. Harry Benyon's lager-marinated steak was next up on the barbecue, which tenderised beautifully after 24 hours; choose a hoppy lager if you can to really get the taste of it come through. For a vegetarian option, ElleZumbido's smoky marinade with freshly ground spices, smoked paprika and dried mint would be hard to beat. I went for slices of aubergine, which were just as good cold the next day with torn mozzarella and herbs. Stepping away from the grill, LeftoverLiz's pork belly marinated in five-spice and ginger beer resulted in sweet, rich, soft meat, and the aroma that filled the kitchen instantly had me excited four hours too early. Finally came a boozy dessert from MizPepperpot; I'd never thought of pairing rum with strawberries, but pick a dark, spiced one, and they are perfect bed partners.The winner, though, was something that I think even the time-poor could not fail to like. With only four essential ingredients, Lowceilingedkitchen's salmon has the kind of balance of savoury depth and caramel sweetness that will make you wish you'd made more. That it's a doddle to prepare means that you most likely will.

Miso honey salmon

This is a great weeknight recipe, and very simple, using just miso, honey and mirin to make a gorgeous golden paste for marinating salmon. This is then baked and grilled to get an edge of smoky char on the sweet, tender fish.Lowceilingedkitchen, via GuardianWitnessServes 2
2 tbsp miso paste (available from Asian food shops), light, medium or dark
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp mirin
2 skin-on salmon fillets
Sprouting broccoli, to serve (optional)
Spring onions, to serve (optional)
Steamed rice, to serve (optional)1 Mix the miso, honey and mirin in a saucepan and heat gently until everything is combined in a smooth paste.2 Pat the fish dry with paper towels and marinate it in an ovenproof serving dish (eg cast-iron or ceramic) for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to a day in the fridge, tightly covered.3 Bake the fish in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 10-15 minutes, until almost done, then just before serving, turn on the grill to high and cook again for no more than a couple of minutes, until it has browned a little. Serve with steamed rice and stir-fried spring onions and broccoli.

Tandoori yoghurt marinade

A vibrantly coloured, spicy aromatic marinade suitable for chicken or fish.Rakesh Bargota, Birmingham Serves 6-8
1-3 red chillies, to taste
15g fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
5-10 threads of saffron (roughly 1 tsp)
500g natural yoghurt
Salt and black pepper2 tbsp tandoori powder
1 Using a granite pestle and mortar, pound the chillies, ginger, garlic, onion, cumin, coriander and garam masala until a smooth paste is formed. You can use a food blender for this, but I find that a granite pestle and mortar actually imparts a certain earthy flavour into the paste. Add the olive oil and lime juice to the paste and mix well. Cover and allow to stand for about 45 minutes, for the flavours to meld.2 While waiting, take the saffron and add it to 2 tablespoons of warm water in a small container and cover it with clingfilm until required (stirring occasionally). After this, put the yoghurt into a suitable mixing bowl, add the salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Cover and wait for about 30 minutes, until the spice paste is ready.3 Next, add the tandoori powder and saffron water to the yoghurt and mix continuously for 2-3 minutes. The yoghurt should be a nice orange-red colour; if not, you may add a couple more teaspoons of tandoori powder, if you wish.4 Finally, put the spice paste into the yoghurt and whisk continuously for a few minutes until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Your marinade is now ready for chicken or fish fillets or cubes (for kebabs). You need to marinate the meat, preferably overnight, in the fridge, or at least 2 hours if you're in a hurry. Your meat will then be ready for the tandoor (if you are lucky enough to have one), the barbecue or to simply bake in the oven.

Ginger beer and five spice

I am tempted to call this Famous Five Sauce, as ginger beer always reminds me of the Enid Blyton stories. Here it is used to marinate belly pork before slow-cooking, and then reduced to a syrupy sauce at the end.LeftoverLiz, via GuardianWitnessFor the marinade
Sea salt flakes
2-3 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
500ml ginger beer
Juice of half a lemon
For the pork
500g pork belly
1 onion or leek, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 stick celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp whole peppercorns
Chicken stock, as required (around 350- 500ml)1 Score the fat on the pork and rub it with sea salt, then leave uncovered for 1 hour. After this time, rinse off and rub the five spice all over.2 Pour the ginger beer and lemon juice into a dish, sit the pork in it and leave to marinate for a further 2-3 hours.3 Put the sliced onion or leek, carrot, celery, garlic and peppercorns into a slow cooker or saucepan and place the belly pork on top.4 In a separate pan, bring the marinade to the boil, then pour over the pork. Add chicken stock until the liquid comes halfway up the meat. Cover then leave to simmer for 3 hours, until tender.5 To serve, put the pork under a hot grill to crisp up the skin. Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquor into a pan and reduce until syrupy. Serve alongside the pork.

Smoky marinade for vegetables

This marinade is great with aubergine. For melt-in-your-mouth veg, add one cubed aubergine and leave to stand overnight. It may seem like a lot of oil, but this brings out the wonderful buttery texture which this purple fruit is capable of. You can, of course, make it lighter by adding a second aubergine and provide contrast by chopping it into strips and griddling. It also works well with courgettes, peppers and mushrooms: perfect for a barbecue.ElleZumbido, via GuardianWitnessServes 2-4
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried mint
1 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, grated
4 tbsp lemon juice
120ml extra virgin olive oil
1-2 aubergines, or other veg as desired1 Mix together all the dry ingredients and the garlic. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and mix again. Add the desired vegetables, mix well with your hands and leave to stand overnight.2 Pour the mix into a large frying pan and fry on a medium to high heat until the aubergine is brown on the outside and soft on the inside. The residual oil can be used in a tabbouleh-style salad with the warm aubergine and fresh herbs.

Sherry citrus marinade

This is a lovely marinade for strawberries or pineapple. While both fruits are delicious without cooking, the pineapple is superb slow-roasted and served warm.MizPepperpot, via GuardianWitnessFor the marinade2 tbsp cream sherry1 tbsp spiced dark rum75g caster sugarJuice and zest of 1 medium orangeZest from 1 lime1 tsp vanilla extractFor strawberries1 large punnet of strawberries, hulled and halvedFor pineapple1 medium pineapple, peeled and cut into ½cm thick slices25g unsalted butter1 Combine all the ingredients for the marinade.2 To make the strawberries, put the fruit in a bowl, pour over the marinade and leave in the fridge overnight, or for at least an hour. To serve, bring the fruit back up to room temperature. Stir to coat and serve with thick cream and the remaining juice/marinade mix.3 To make the pineapple, put the slices in a bowl, pour over the marinade and leave for the same time as the strawberries.4 To cook the pineapple, preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5, then lay the slices in a single layer in a flat casserole dish or nonstick roasting pan. Dot with butter and roast for around 1 hour, until soft and golden. Turn and baste frequently. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Beer-marinated steaks

This is an excellent marinade for tougher meats like beef skirt or bavette, to both tenderize and flavour.Harry Benyon, Market HarboroughServes 4500ml can lager1 tbsp honey1 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp fish sauce or worcestershire sauceA handful parsley stalks, finely chopped2 spring onions, chopped1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped½ tsp ground black pepper4 skirt steaks1 Mix all ingredients for the marinade, then pour over 4 skirt steaks laid in a non-reactive dish. Cover and chill overnight, or for 24 hours, turning midway to ensure coverage.2 Dry off the meat and place on a hot griddle or barbecue to cook rare. Slice thinly across the grain and serve pink.