Holidays complete with 25-lb. turkeys, lovingly basted to evenly-browned crisp perfection, may be a thing of the past, when children were sent out for wood to keep the wood stove cooking. Today’s cooks use another old technique to infuse their holiday turkeys with moisture before roasting. Brining with salt, sugar and a variety of spices keeps white meat moist. Wines add a fruity essence to brines.
How Brines Work
Brining is a non-traditional way to prepare a very traditional dish. Unlike the other methods that require special equipment, brining requires only a food-grade plastic bag and large kettle that fits in the refrigerator or insulated cooler. The salt in the brine does pull moisture out of the turkey, but the liquid -- and the sugar and seasonings it carries -- replaces it. The turkey is thus seasoned throughout, not just on its skin. Wine in the brining solution adds an acidic element, such as is in marinade, so timing to a specific recipe is important to avoid over tenderizing the turkey, leaving it mushy.
Starting Enough
The best turkeys for brining weigh between 12 and 15 lbs., fit in modern ovens and are easier to handle while moving during the brining process. Brining large turkeys that weigh more than 20 lbs. will result in mushy texture near the skin. Brine must cover the turkey completely during the process. Pre-basted turkeys will absorb salt in the vegetable oil, so plain, fresh or thawed birds make the best brining candidates. Always remove the neck and giblets from the bird and rinse it thoroughly before brining.
Choosing Wines
Although red or white wine may be served with turkey, wine is customarily used for basting, so choose a white wine for your brine. A Rhine wine, such as Riesling or Gewürztraminer, provides a crisp taste. Economical chardonnays and sauvignon blancs from California or Australia provide a more substantial taste; Chenin blanc and inexpensive Chablis provide a lighter taste. If the meal where turkey will be the centerpiece features traditional foods, an apple or other white fruit wine from a local winery might provide a cidery pungency to your brine.
Adding Wine
Brines begin with a boil of salt, white or brown sugar and spices, such as bay leaves, caraway and mustard seeds, peppercorns, sprigs of thyme and, perhaps, juniper berries. Brines should contain the equivalent of 1 cup table salt to every gallon of water -- 1/2 that amount when the turkey will sit overnight in the brine. Plain, not iodized, salt brines without a metallic taste. Kosher or sea salt may be substituted at a rate of twice the table salt specified in a recipe. The brine is allowed to cool, then poured over the turkey. When wine is added to the brine, the boil uses only 1/2 or less of the total water. At least twice as much wine as salt is added with the rest of the water after the boil has been poured over the turkey.
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