Brining the turkey

November 21, 12:04 PMFood ExaminerEric Burkett

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You’ve picked your turkey, you’ve lugged him home, and now he’s thawed (assuming you picked out a frozen bird). What’s next? Unless you’re planning on sushi, you’ve got to cook him. But there’s one more step that will help ensure flavorful, moist results: brining.
Brining became all the rage several years ago but it’s a technique that has stuck around simply because it works. Besides adding moisture to a food notorious for drying out while it cooks, it also adds flavor. Nice, too, is that you'll find your leftovers are still moist the next day. Nicest of all, it’s easy to do.
According to food science master extraordinaire Harold McGee, brining adds about 10 percent to the weight of the bird, but since 20 percent is normally lost in cooking, you’re still ahead in moisture content. McGee explains that the salts in the brine help break down muscle tissue, which prevents the proteins from coagulating – or tightening up – during the cooking process, resulting in a more tender flesh. It also helps the bird to accept additional flavorings, such as any herbs or wine you might add to the brine. Interestingly, McGee prefers not to brine his turkey. Here's why.
So, how do you do it? First, you need six things:

1. A large container, such as a stock pot or food-safe plastic bucket.
2. About 2 ½ to 3 gallons of water.
3. 2 cups kosher salt
4. 1 cup sugar
5. Herbs or other flavorings.
6. Twenty-four hours.
Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water in the container you’ve selected. Then, give your bird a thorough rinsing and remove the giblets from the cavity (being sure to rinse that out, as well). Place the bird into the bucket, along with whatever herbs you want (Fresh sage, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, lemon zest, and white wine are all nice options), and then place the whole thing in the refrigerator or another location where the temperature doesn’t rise above 40 degrees.
Twenty-four hours later, you’ve got yourself a brined turkey. Tomorrow, we’ll look at options for cooking the bird.