As Thanksgiving nears each year, people always ask us for tips for their bird. The best tip — other than using Rubarama — is to brine that bird.
It's easy to do, will make your turkey (or fowl of your choosing) succulent, and enhance the seasonings. Below is our basic brine recipe.
- Water, lukewarm and enough to cover the whole turkey
- 1 cup Kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Rubarama
You can do this with either hot or lukewarm water. We tend to do the hot version. It's a bit more work, but we find that it makes a better brine. Bring the water to just before a boil, stir in all ingredients, and let cool.
If lukewarm, mix ingredients together in a container large enough to hold water and turkey. Let cool to room temperature.
Once cool, add the poultry, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
What we used: The Brine Bucket! You can use any large bowl that you have, but with all the bird juices and the like flowing around we did invest in this little covered gem and it's been great. It's BPA-free, seals well, and while we wouldn't recommend using the handle to carry this while it's filled with brine and chicken, it is sturdy.