The Hospitality Professional speaks to guest chef Hans Vontrapp about marinades. Hans travels all over the globe and has recently returned from Vienna where he worked with some of the world's most famous chefs.

Q: Firstly Hans what is a marinade?

A marinade is a liquid used for soaking meat that adds flavouring, tenderises and preserves.

Q:Han's why do we marinade meat, poultry and game?

Poultry is sometimes marinated before cooking to give the meat extra flavour, to preserve it's freshness and to tenderise it.

Q:How long should we marinate food?

The length of time for which you will marinate food depends on the size and cut of the meat.

Small cuts will only need to be marinated for 30 minutes - 1 hour, whilst a large pot roast can be marinated for up to 2 days.

If you are marinating for more than 30 minutes it is a good idea to stick the food in the cool room. Some chefs will marinate food for long periods of time without attending to the food. You really need to make sure you rotate the food regularly and use a spoon to make sure the food is completely covered.

Q:Han's give us a couple examples of your favourite Marinades?

Lime juice, chopped spring onions, chopped parsley, curshed garlic, finely chopped chilli, curry powder and seasoning, in refrigerator for 30 mins.

Strong coffee, onion , cider vinegar, molasses, ketjap manis.

Blend roughly chopped onions, sliced garlic, finely chopped ginger, add lemon juice and mix in ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala and yoghurt. Marinate chicken pieces in this mixture and refrigerate overnight.

Thyme, oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper.