Chef Gaynol

Turkey Brining 101

I've had six phone calls, three emails and a conversation with our landscaper about brining a turkey.  Here's what you need to know.

First, I don't have a favorite brining recipe.  Pretty much any combination of salt and sugar in equal parts is going to create the desired chemical reaction.   Here are some brine recipes you can use  Emeril, Alton, and All Recipes.

Now, on to your questions.

Q: Can I brine in a plastic bucket or garbage bag?

A: No!  I know that some recipes call for doing this but it is extremely unsafe.  Garbage bags and plastic buckets were never meant to hold chemically reactive elements like salt and sugar.  Chemicals can leach out of buckets and plastic bags and into your holiday meal.

Q: So what do I use Miss Turkey Pants?

A: That's Mrs. Turkey Pants, thank you very much.  You need to use a food grade plastic container.  These are available at restaurant supply stores.  You could also use a Reynolds Oven Bag (turkey size) to line the inside of any non-food grade container.  Another product that shows up this time of year is the Ziploc Big Bags XL.  These are food safe and hold up to ten gallons, plus they've got handles and a pleated bottom that helps them stand up.

Another idea is to do your brining inside an ice chest. The insides are made of food grade plastic, so they're safe to use.

Q: But Emeril says it's okay to brine in a garbage bag!

A: It's not.  The big daddy of cooking got this one wrong and I wish they would correct the recipes on the Food Network site. 

Q: Can I brine the turkey in my basement/on my back porch/in the garage?

A: It depends (put down that turkey cleaver, answers aren't always yes or no) if you can promise me that the temperature in your basement/ back porch/garage won't rise above 4o degrees, then by all means brine away.  You also need to make sure the brine is chilled to 40 degrees or below before you put the turkey into the solution.  A temperature above 40 degrees means your making a nice big batch of bacteria soup, and it could lead to illness especially in the very young, immune compromised or elderly folks.  No one wants to end the holidays with a trip to the emergency room, so be very, very careful that you keep the temperature below 40 degrees.

If you're going to brine in the garage, my other tip is to put the turkey in front of and not behind your car.  One year a friend of mine's husband in a caffeine deprived state backed over their would-be turkey dinner and sent brine and turkey flying all over the garage.  I think they got pizza that year.

Though it is cold enough here to brine outside, I'd never put a turkey on our back porch.  The furry creatures we share this land with would organize a raiding party and I can guarantee they would have liberated our Thanksgiving bird within a couple of hours.  They are nothing if not resourceful.

If you've got any other questions send me an email or leave a comment, I'm here to help. Now go forth and brine with confidence!

Dicing an Onion

I know you're all sitting around wondering how they get those perfect little onion squares shown on the Food Network.  Well, wonder no more!  It's fast and easy and with a little practice you too can be turning out nicely diced onions.

Road Testing Saveur's Perfect Brown Rice

Brown  Rice has always been problematic.  In general, folks know they should be trying to get more fiber into their diets but the time required to cook whole grains is often the deal breaker.   I've gotten a lot of complaints from students that their attempts at cooking brown rice resulted in either undercooked rice or rice that was so mushy it resembled oatmeal.

Fear not fellow fiber seekers!  Saveur has ridden to the rescue with their recipe for Saveur's Perfect Brown Rice. I was skeptical at first, but I've tried this method a few times now with different brands of rice and I'm a believer.  The thinking behind this method is cook brown rice like you would a pasta. 

Seeding and Dicing Cucumbers

This is a very easy technique that gets rid of all those icky cucumber seeds and pulp.  I'm not a fan of leaving the skin on a cucumber, I know some people like the color but the skin is bitter and often coated with wax.  For me it ruins the crisp, clean taste.  So begin by peeling the cucumber and slicing it in half, horizontally.

Run a kitchen spoon down the center of each half, removing the seeds and the pulp.

Basil Chiffonade

I wanted to show you how to chiffonade.  Chiffonade is a knife cut typically used for garnishing or creating a bed of shredded greens.

Start by placing basil leaves into a neat little stack.