Marinating is simply a way of tenderising meat and has been adapted from a couple of fairly basic ideas and principles to suit the types of meat you're using, the kind of dish your going to use it in and whether or not you're feeling health-conscious. The liquid you use is called the marinade - the act of soaking meat is called marinating.

The basic marinade, as given in the trusty Larousse Gastronomique, is simply the ingredients you'd use if making a meat stock - vegetables for stock such as onions, shallots, carrots and celery - and a bouquet garni of bay leaf, garlic, thyme, and a clove. These are placed into a container with a large cut of meat and the whole lot is covered with either red or white wine, fortified with one glass of brandy. If you're using smaller pieces of meat, they suggest adding the juice of one lemon too. Leave this in a refrigerator for at least 6 hours, turning the meat three or four times to fully permeate the meat. This is now suitable for braising or roasting - if you're braising the meat, you can actually use the leftover marinade to keep it moist throughout, supplementing it with stock.

Naturally, there are a lot more options available to you if you're marinating meat to grill. For a basic Indian marinade, try combining yoghurt and a little chick pea flour (alternatively known as gram flour) with either tandoori masala or a combination of ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, ginger and chilli. Cover chicken thighs and drumsticks with this before frying gently in oil or ghee with onions, and then adding a tomato sauce.

Asian-influenced marinades are achieved by taking flavours such as lime juice, fresh grated ginger, chopped green chillies, fresh coriander, and garlic and soaking meat in them - loosened with a little soy sauce and sesame oil - for at least six hours. Again, this is best for meats such as chicken, and if you're going to be using a marinade heavy in citrus or other acidic ingredients on fish, bear in mind that the acidity will "cook" the ingredient a little prior to it going anywhere near a pan.

For beef, try using sesame oil with five spice mix and a good splash of soy sauce. Try marinating oily fish such as mackerel or tuna in tamarind paste which has been thinned with water.

If you're looking for a healthy, creamy marinade for chicken, try using buttermilk in combination with a variety of spices - tumeric and fresh ginger, chilli and garlic works well, with a little lime juice. Buttermilk mixed with harissa (chilli paste) gives a nice Middle Eastern flavour to chicken if left to marinate for a few hours, or try paprika and fennel seeds for a Hungarian influence. With buttermilk, remove the excess marinade and then cook the chicken by grilling it.