Leave it to Alice Waters and her crew at Chez Panisse to come up with a
recipe that's so simple and so brilliant it brings out the best in chicken,
pork, or turkey. They've created a brine with sugar, salt, and just a few
seasonings that infuse loads of flavor into the meats. In fact, she used this
brine on her Thanksgiving turkey and reports that it was marvelous.
To test how well the brine worked, I cooked two chickens side by side. One had
been soaked in the brine for 24 hours, the other was simply roasted. Both
cavities were filled with Italian parsley, preserved lemons, and onions, and
cooked in a 400-degree oven.
The difference was remarkable. While the regular roasted chicken had a deeper,
richer skin color, the brined chicken was plump and juicy, albeit a little
anemic in color. But the flavor was amazing and it was the moistest chicken I
can ever remember eating. The next day I warmed the leftovers and the regular
chicken was even drier and had that typical day-old taste, but the brined
chicken still tasted moist and fresh.
To achieve the browned skin you'll have to leave the chicken in the oven a
little longer, but the meat will still be moist. We also tried a pork roast,
brined for three days, and it came out fabulous, too. The leftovers were
particularly good for sandwiches the next day.
The recipe makes enough brine for a large turkey. If brining only one chicken or
a pork roast, cut the recipe in half.
Place the water in a large pot that can easily hold the liquid and the meat you
intend to brine.
Add all the ingredients and stir for a minute or so until the sugar and salt
dissolve.
Refrigerate poultry in the brine for 24 hours; pork for 3 days. If the meat
floats to the top, use a plate or other weight to keep it completely submerged
in the brine.