Wet Brine for Poultry

Brines use salt to break down the proteins in the meat so that it can absorb moisture and hold on it. After the salt breaks down the proteins, the proteins won't contract while cooking, meaning less moisture is expelled in the roasting process. Quantity of the water is not so important, just make sure your meat is fully submerged. However it's very critical to have right saltines of solution which should be around 5%. Most commonly I brine meat like turkey breasts as it tends to get very dry while cooking. Benefits are so great that if you have time, I would definitely recommend do this process for any poultry meat or whole birds. If you are aiming at crispier texture (chicken skin) it's recommended to use dry brine instead where more moisture is expelled from the meat.

 4 l Water
 ¾ cup Salt
 ¾ cup Sugar
 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
 1 Knob Ginger(slices)
 2 Garlic(minced)
 3 Stalks of Thyme(or any other herbs of your choice)

1

  • Mix all ingredients, bring to simmer, cool down.
  • Place meat and marinate over night.

2

  • Alternatively, you can also mix everything in to cold water and dissolve all with whisk.
  • However heat helps aromatic to release the oils and flavor.

3

  • Minimum brining time should be 12 hours and longest 24 hours.