If you have ever wondered how to cook Thanksgiving turkey or roast chicken on the weekend, you have probably heard the term "marinated." For visitors to our beautiful planet, marinating is the process of applying salt to meat, poultry or fish before cooking, in order to improve its flavor, texture and juiciness. Today, because Thanksgiving is growing up, we will limit the discussion of the topic to the turkey and its winged beast chicken.

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When pickling, salt is usually used in one of two ways: it can be sprinkled directly on the surface of the item with so-called dry brine, or it can be dissolved in water to form a wet brine.

Before you delve into salt water, there is one thing to note. Some brands, such as Butterball Turkey and Kosher Poultry, have been treated with a salt solution. Therefore, there is no need to salt it at home-you will only end up with an overseas bird. Check the packaging and brine before buying.

What is wet salt water?

First, let's talk about that wet salt water. The rule of thumb is to add about 1/4 cup kosher salt per quart of water. Marinating may take an hour to a whole day, depending on the size of the food we are cooking. The salt in the brine acts on the protein in the meat to make the meat more tender. In addition, as you might expect, soaking something in salt water will make it wetter and saltier. This means that as the softness increases, the marinated items will become juicy and well-seasoned. Who can argue with it?

The problem of wet pickling

Believe it or not, there are some problems with wet salt water.

First of all, adding water to the meat will dilute its flavor-please note that this is not much, but for the already mild turkey, you may not appreciate this result.

However, for me, the real problem is the container of salt water. If you just make a few pork chops or chicken breasts, it's no big deal. However, once you start marinating something as big as a turkey, the problem comes. Consider the size and shape of the container needed to soak the whole turkey in brine, and ask yourself how to refrigerate it overnight.

Most importantly, please remember that you are soaking raw poultry. When you pour salt water into the drain, the nasty poultry water will splash around your kitchen and contaminate it in the process. (By the way, this is why you should never rinse your poultry in the sink-all splashes will throw droplets containing Salmonella around the kitchen.)

Between the diminished taste, the difficulty of finding a container and place to store soaked big birds, and the danger of bacterial showers, you should consider using dry salt water.

What is dry brine

Dry salt water works in the same way as wet salt water, except that no water is added. This is what you have to do: Sprinkle kosher salt on the surface of the meat and place it in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. This ratio is usually about 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt per pound of meat.

Salt draws water from the meat. That water dissolves salt and forms salt water. The brine is then reabsorbed into the meat, just like wet brine. Finally, the salt tenderizes and flavors the meat. Although studies have shown that dry cured meat is not as juicy as wet cured meat, any cured meat is more juicy than uncured meat at all.

Now, please remember that our idea is to never expect to be perfect on your first try or even your first few attempts. If you plan to brine your Thanksgiving turkey, use dry brine for the reasons mentioned above. But first, practice the dry brine technique with roast chicken during weekend dinners. In this way, when Thanksgiving comes, you are already a few steps ahead.

Dry marinated, grilled, fried chicken with herb sauce

Marinating time: up to 24 hours

1 3 to 4 pounds roast chicken

2 teaspoons kosher salt, add more as needed

Unsalted herb mix, such as zata or lemon pepper (optional)

Vanilla sauce, as needed (see attached recipe)

Step 1: Fried chicken: Use kitchen scissors or chef's knife to remove the spine and set aside. Flip the chicken to the breast side and spread the sides to expose the breastbone. Using a chef's knife, make a small cut at the top of the breastbone to free it from the membrane. Use your fingers to pull the bone out. Keep the bones.

Step 2: Sprinkle the chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon of salt. Flip the chicken to a pan or a large plate, and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt evenly. Refrigerate chicken, uncovered, overnight, up to 24 hours.

Step 3: When roasting, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and place it on a pan covered with foil with the skin facing up. Don't rinse. Tuck the wingtips back under the breast to secure them. Sprinkle with optional vanilla mixture, then lightly spray in a pan. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven to an internal temperature of 165 F, about 35-45 minutes.

Step 4: Move the chicken to the cutting board. Pour out the liquid fat on the baking sheet and discard. Scrape the solidified juice with a rubber spatula, taste the saltiness, and preserve the sauce (see the attached recipe).

Step 5: Cut the chicken into pieces, drizzle with sauce and serve.

Vanilla pan sauce:

1 chicken spine, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 chicken keel, cut into 2 or 3 pieces

2 cups canned chicken broth or homemade stock

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, Provencal herbs, zata or herbs of your choice

Solidified juice scraped from roast chicken (optional)

Note: The sauce begins when the chicken enters the oven. The solidified juice in the pot adds flavor and richness to the sauce. Taste it before adding it to determine the saltiness.

Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small, thick-bottomed saucepan over medium high heat, almost smoking. Add the reserved backbone and keel bone block. Scorch, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 1-2 minutes.

Step 2: Add 2 tablespoons of diced onion, 1 tablespoon of diced carrots and 1 tablespoon of diced celery, fry until slightly brown, about 5 minutes.

Step 3: Sprinkle 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour on the bones and vegetables, and stir to combine. Cook until the mixture starts to darken, about 3-5 minutes.

Step 4: Add 2 cups of chicken broth, add 1 bay leaf and 1 tablespoon vanilla. After boiling, turn to low heat and simmer until the starch flavor disappears, about 20 minutes.

Step 5: Taste the salty taste of the chicken pot sauce. (Due to the salt water, the juice may be quite salty.) According to the salty taste of the juice, stir all or part of the juice into a simmering sauce and simmer for about 3-5 minutes.

Step 6: Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pan and discard the solids. Temper and heat until the palindrome is simmering, then remove from the heat, add the whole piece of butter and stir. Taste the seasoning again and add salt as needed. Serve immediately with roast chicken.