Many years ago, I did not brine my meats or fowl – but after experiencing the benefits of it, I will never not brine them again. My first experiment brining was with a pair of Cornish hens that I deep-fried on the stove-top. It worked so well that I began adding seasonings, herbs, and spices, bringing a variety of flavors and nuances to the dish that I was unable to incorporate without the brine.

The Cornish hens turned out so well, that my next “experiment” was a turkey – at Thanksgiving! I brined it overnight and the next day I deep-fried it. It was the moistest, juiciest, and most flavor-filled turkey I had ever eaten – and that was also the consensus among my guests.

After that, I brined a pork loin from early morning until evening, when I placed it in my rotisserie. From that moment on, I knew brining was the way to bring moisture to my cooked meats – without a lot of fuss!

Bon Appetit!

A Briny Addition for Turkey, Chicken, Cornish Hen, Duck, Goose, or Pork

by Kimberly Thompson

DIRECTIONS

In a pot large enough to hold a turkey, fill almost halfway with cold water. Add fresh or dried herbs – parsley, lemongrass, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram (whatever you have and prefer) – to the water. Add red or white pepper, granulated garlic (or fresh or powdered) and onion powder or fresh (quartered) onions. Add *about* a cup of salt (depending on the size of your brine) and stir well. There are so many possibilities and combinations because this recipe is so versatile! It all depends on your taste buds.

Add a turkey to the liquid… or chicken… or Cornish hens… or duck… or goose… or pork. Add more water until all the meat is completely covered at least by half an inch of water. Cover with a lid of some kind, and let it sit overnight.

When you take your meat out of the brine, cook it any way you please. Deep-fried, broiled, rotisserie or grilled – all the methods of cooking work well with this brine.

Kimberly Thompson spends her days climbing underneath bridges as a certified bridge inspector and her evenings as a wife, mother, homemaker and gardener. Her passions for gardening and cooking have led to many experimental dishes in the Thompson household with considerably more smiling faces than failures. Kimberly has been cooking full time since the age of ten, for a family of five, and is also a published author (Tate Publishing).

Photo credit © Rosemary Buffoni | Dreamstime.com