The Only Turkey Brine You’ll Ever Need (And Why You Should Use One)

Every year, it was the same. On the morning of Christmas Eve, my mother would take the turkey out of the fridge, where it was busy dominating the space and shoving everything else needed for the next day right to the back. She would then produce a large, orange, two-handled bucket and start creating what I used to think of as a kind of witch’s broth. A broth (or, more accurately, a brine) that would permeate the turkey, safeguarding it from blandness and infusing it with more flavor than you thought possible. 

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As I approach my 34th Christmas, the tables have turned. This year, for the first time, I’m hosting Christmas in my own home. I’m hosting my parents. And I’ll be continuing that tradition by using the same brine recipe my Mum always did. I invite you to do the same. 

The Importance Of Brine

Before I jump into the brine recipe we always use, I first want to talk about why it’s so vital in the first place. Anyone who’s tried to chew through a non-moist turkey breast will be well aware of how utterly awful it can get. The bird’s leanness is also its downfall: It can quickly become dry, mealy, and tough in the wrong hands. 

A brine, though, helps to diminish the chances of a lack of flavor and a lack of moisture. The salt in the brine loosens the muscle structure of your turkey and denatures its proteins, tenderizing its meat without making it overly (or weirdly) soft. The aromatics thrown into the brine, meanwhile, work their way into the meat and give the delicate, sometimes flavorless turkey meat a little bit of life. If you’re accustomed to layering your turkey with bacon, you can still do that too: Honestly, when it comes to this poultry, sometimes it’s a case of “the more the merrier.” You just have to remember to get started a day or two before the big meal itself, as it takes time for a turkey to properly soften and infuse.

Turkey Brine, Courtesy Of Nigella Lawson

Now, to the brine! My mother and I swear by a Nigella Lawson recipe, which produces an intensely aromatic solution that covers all the flavor bases required. While this is a Christmas recipe, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t use it for Thanksgiving; either way, it goes big on seasonal scents and tastes. 

For ease, here’s what you’ll need to purchase for it – I’m assuming you already have salt, peppercorns, and sugar in your kitchen; if not, you’ll need to grab some of those as well:

• One large orange
• Fresh parsley, thyme, and bay leaves
• Cinnamon sticks
• Caraway seeds
• Whole cloves
• Allspice berries
• Star anise
• White mustard seeds
• Two onions
• A large piece of fresh ginger
• Maple syrup
• Honey

You’ll also need, of course, the turkey. Pour six liters of water into a bucket, then add the above (plus salt, peppercorns, and sugar) as per the quantities listed in Lawson’s recipe, and tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves into a bouquet garni. Add your turkey, and keep it in a cool place for a minimum of 24 hours. Take your turkey out of the brine a couple of hours before you’re ready to cook it, pat it dry, and leave it to come up to room temperature. 

Trust me. You’ll be glad you put in the extra effort.