Wet brine

Ingredients (for ~4 litres of brine):

4 litres of cold water

180g kosher salt (or 120g table salt)

100g sugar (optional – white, brown, or a mix)

Optional flavourings:

2–4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp whole black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)

1 lemon or orange, sliced

1 onion, quartered

Instructions:

Dissolve the salt and sugar in a saucepan, heat 500ml of the water with 180g salt and 100g sugar. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is fully dissolved.

(Add your optional aromatics now if you want them to infuse more deeply.)

Remove from the heat and add the remaining 3.5 litres of cold water to bring the brine to room temperature.

(Or add 500g of ice to cool it down more quickly — see tip below.)

Cool completely, make sure the brine is fully cooled to below 5°C before adding your meat joints. Never add to warm brine. Submerge your food. Place your meat, poultry, or vegetables in a non-reactive container (glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or food-safe plastic), and pour the brine over to cover. Refrigerate while brining. Keep the container in the fridge for the whole brining period.

 

General Brining Times (Guidelines)

Whole chicken: 8–12 hours

Chicken portions: 1–2 hours

Whole turkey: 12–24 hours

Pork chops: 30 minutes – 2 hours

Pork roast: 12–24 hours

Prawns (raw):15–30 minutes

Vegetables: 30–60 minutes

 

Notes and trips

Rinse food after brining to remove excess surface salt (unless doing a dry brine).

Pat food dry before cooking to encourage browning.

Adjust the seasoning in your recipe, as brined food is already salted.