Christmas is fast approaching, and for many that means it’s time to start thinking about cooking a turkey and how to ensure that it looks and tastes fabulous. The secret to a plump and juicy roast turkey is brining. Brining a whole turkey is a process in which the turkey is submerged in a salt and water solution prior to cooking. Brining increases the moisture content, which is ideal for turkey which has a tendency to dry out. You can also brine a whole chicken, or even chicken pieces.
You’ll need a container large enough to hold the turkey but one which will also fit in your refrigerator. A clean plastic bucket works well, if you can move the shelves of your fridge to fit it in. Otherwise you could use a stock pot or a large bowl.
Brining is best done the day before you cook the turkey.
The basic brine recipe is ¾ cup of salt to 4 litres of water, but the ratio can vary depending on recipes. You can use table, sea or rock salt. It is recommended to add an equal amount of sugar to the mixture to add sweetness and offset the saltiness. Herbs, spices and other flavourings like garlic and citrus can also be added to the brine solution for extra flavour.
The quantity of brine you make will depend on the size of the turkey – you will need enough that the turkey is completely submerged in the brine.
The turkey should be clean and completely thawed before you begin.
Using a balloon whisk, ensure that the salt and sugar are fully dissolved in the water. If using rock salt, it’s easier to dissolve it in a portion of boiling water first, then add the rest of the water and allow to cool. Add any additional flavouring then submerge the turkey in the solution. If necessary, use a plate, saucepan or similar weigh the turkey down – it must be completely submerged.
Place in the refrigerator for about 12 hours (for a 4 kg turkey).
After brining, rinse the turkey under cold running water and pat dry. Discard the brine. Although not necessary, leaving the turkey uncovered in the refrigerator overnight will allow the surface to dry thoroughly and ensure a crisp, golden skin.
Stuff, truss and roast the turkey in the usual manner and enjoy the juiciest, most tender turkey you have ever cooked!
Hi Gail…thanks for the email telling me where to find the details of the brining process…I will try it for this Xmas …see if I can improve on my Thanksgiving turkey….Julie
Would love to hear how you go Julie . I will definitely be brining my turkey too!
I don’t mean to be a know it all, but as a big fan and advocate of brining I feel compelled to correct one detail so that hopefully no one gets turned off w/ brining by having a bad first go at it. Since theres some real science and chemistry involved, and since its all from the effects of salinity its crucial people understand theres a HUGE difference between the salinity of table salt and kosher or sea salt, the latter two being close enough to use either. I cant speak as to rock salt since I don’t know but Im going to check into that. But table salt is 3 or 4 times “saltier” than kosher and ya have to adjust the amount used accordingly. Everyone’s got an opinion and mine is iodized table salt doesn’t belong in any kitchen or near food, period. Do a taste test of the two and rinse ur pallet in between, table salt tastes like what it is, a very unnatural processed substance w/ added chemicals, to me it tastes very metallic. Verify for yourself if you doubt me and IF youre going to brine w/ table salt don’t use my figures of 3 to 4 times saltier, that’s a wag, but its easy enough to verify they have totally different salinity if you look it up and Ive seen the results of substituting table for sea for kosher in a brine, and it wasn’t that pretty at all.
Hi Dave thank you for your comment, it’s always good to hear of other people’s experiences. I completely agree with you that table salt does not belong in food, but I have had good results using it for brining. Using sea salt / kosher salt certainly gives an excellent result, but it is quite expensive here in Australia so I like to give alternatives in this situation, especially given the quantities that are required for brining.