Chinese ginger and garlic marinade: basic and easy

Here’s a Chinese marinade my dear old Dad taught me when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, Grasshopper.

It’s a basic one made from crushed garlic, grated ginger root, brown sugar and soy sauce. Dark soy is usually used in marinades but, as this one is being used in a stir-fry with seared salmon, I went for the light soy. Remember that light soy is a bit saltier. I’ve also added a few crushed chilli seeds for variation on the theme.

UK Chinese often use Golden Syrup instead of sugar. You can experiment with a dollop of honey as well, although that’s an interesting fusion rather than traditional Chinese cooking.

INGREDIENTS:
1 small bulb (whole bulb, not a clove) crushed garlic,
1 heaped dessertspoon grated ginger root (peel first)
1 heaped dessertspoon brown sugar
Half cup of soy sauce (light used here)
Optional: Half teaspoon chilli seeds

From the top, clockwise: crushed garlic, chilli seeds (optional), brown sugar, grated ginger root.

Note that the main ingredients — garlic, ginger, sugar — are in roughly equal proportions: third, third, third. Mix together with soy sauce to make a paste.

It should look something like this, a thick sauce. OK, you’re ready for cooking.

USES: In stir-fries. To marinade meat or fish, make it a bit thicker by using less soy sauce, remembering to score the meat first. Make fresh each time, although the salt in the soy sauce should mean this is good in the fridge for a few days.

CHEAT POINT: If you are in a rush or have run out of fresh root ginger, you can use a dessertspoon of powdered ginger instead.