EAT

Brine your Thanksgiving Bird for an amazing moist meal. We all enjoy thinking about those things that we have to give thanks for at this time of year. I am thankful that I was turned on to brining turkey many years ago by the great chef Bruce Naftaly of Seattle’s le Gourmand fame.

Some of you may have used the brining technique but many have not. Why? I don’t have a clue, but it is an amazing and easy process for that perfect bird. I can personally attest that I have never had turkey or goose, duck, pheasant, grouse or chicken any better than when it has been soaked in a brine and then properly roasted. Brines and brine times differ depending on the bird but this being the Thanksgiving season, I’m talking turkey!

The purpose of brine is to impart both moisture and flavor to the bird. The process acts like a marinade, but with the proper ingredi- ents, it does much more than that – it naturally tenderizes the meat – gently breaking down the connective tissues and muscle due to the enzymes in the fruits and aromatics. The result is an incredibly tender and juicy bird for you and your guests.

Properly brining a turkey is a 24-hour process, so you can prep out your bird starting two days in advance leaving you to devote your attention to all the other dishes and house chores that go into a successful gathering – all the while your turkey is taking care of itself.

First off you’ll need an ice chest that is big enough to hold both the turkey and the brine. You’ll need enough brine to completely cover your turkey so size matters! It also helps to have a brick that’s been wrapped in several layers of plastic cling wrap to keep the bird submerged in the brine.

Aromatic Turkey Brine

Ingredients

1 fresh pineapple – skinned, cored and chopped into largechunks

1 papaya – skinned, cored and chopped into small chunks

1 bottle Riesling wine – Canoe Ridge is perfect for this!

3 Oranges*

3 Lemons*

3 Limes*

5 Apples – skinned, cored and lightly crushed

3 cups kosher salt

1 cups sugar

4 Bay leaves

6 Star Anise pods

1 cup ground black pepper

½ cup Black Tea

Method

Bring a large pot with a gallon of water to simmer.

Stir in the salt and sugar until thoroughly dissolved.

Add Tea, Bay, Anise and Pepper while still hot.

Let cool for two hours.

Remove Bay leaves.

Add in wine and all fruit and stir for 5 minutes to incorporate and distribute all juices.

Let brine rest for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Place cleaned turkey into the ice chest. Put plastic wrapped brick into cavity to weigh it down.

Pour brine into ice chest, and add enough water to cover the bird.Stir in extra water to spread the love!

Close ice chest and ignore for 18-20 hours.

*The citrus fruits should be carefully and thoroughly washed. Leave peels on, but cut into quarters, crush juice into brine but in- clude fruit as well.

Remove the turkey from the brine and place the bird upright in a sink for 15 minutes to allow all juices to drain thoroughly from the inner cavity. Remove any clinging spices and then pat dry. Wrap the tips of the wings and tips of the drumsticks with foil and you’re ready to go. Now you can roast and baste your turkey normally. I recom- mend a temp no higher than 350 degrees, but you get an added benefit from brining – your bird will cook a little faster because the meat has been tenderized and is now porous. Use a meat thermometer to determine when the bird is done rather than the recommended weight/temp/time method.

I hope you enjoy this delicious, healthy and simple method for prepping your holiday turkey. As an aside – it also works incredibly well for a pork roast too. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.