In a stew about brining: Turkey recipe was a success for many, a disaster for others
Editor's Note: This material relates to a recipe published Nov. 24 in Pacific Northwest Magazine. Because the magazine is printed so far in advance, we're publishing it in Northwest Life to bring it to any readers who might be thinking about turkey for their Christmas meals.
Dear Seattle Times:
We are writing to bring to your attention a concern we have about your Thanksgiving turkey brine recipe that was published in the Taste section of Pacific Northwest magazine Nov. 24.
We were excited to try this cooking technique and were motivated by the simplicity of the recipe. We prepared the brine according to your instructions and followed the procedures as indicated. Unfortunately, the resulting turkey was virtually inedible, as were the stuffing and the gravy. Clearly there was way too much salt, and to our dismay we had to pitch virtually the entire Thanksgiving meal into the garbage.
Afterward, we researched other brine recipes and discovered that most call for one-fourth the amount of salt that yours stated. We are wondering whether this recipe is accurate and whether it had been tested prior to publishing.
On behalf of those people who may wish to try brining in the future, we encourage you to test this recipe and perhaps offer a less salty version.
— Denine and Stephen Scallen
Dear Readers:
Thank you for trying the recipe for Moist and Tender Turkey. I am always happy when readers report that they have not only read my story but actually placed enough trust in me to try the recipe — especially for what might well be the most anticipated dish of the year.
I am dreadfully sorry that you were not happy with the results. I was saddened and confused to learn that you found the turkey too salty, and what's worse is that you were not alone. Even though dozens of people tried the recipe and loved it, several readers contacted me — and my editors — with the complaint that their turkey was too salty. I feel like I'm the turkey.
The problem baffled me because I tried the recipe myself both before and again after publishing the article, and my turkeys were delicious — flavorful, but not too salty. In fact, I use this same brine with free-range chickens every week at IslandWood and we have never had a complaint about too much salt. On the contrary, everyone insists that it's the best chicken they've ever eaten.
Still, I know this problem was real; too many people who are not afraid of big flavors had trouble with this turkey recipe.
In search of answers, I called food scientist Shirley Corriher to confirm that the proportions of salt I offered in the recipe were in line with the ones she recommended, and indeed they were. The only piece of advice Shirley could offer was that the birds be rinsed off before getting roasted. (I did not rinse mine, but it sounds like a good idea.)
I also wondered if the problem might be with the turkeys themselves. Were they self-basting or otherwise pre-treated? Unfortunately, the answer was: not necessarily. (But several people had bad results with the same brand, and no one had bad results with the "Northwest natural" brand I always buy.) Some brands just seemed to absorb more salt than others, even when they were labeled "natural" or additive-free.
By and large, the technique met with resounding success, but too many people had problems with the saltiness for me to ever again recommend this recipe without reservations. Instead I will share it only with the proviso that adventurous cooks might get the best turkey they have ever eaten or they might end up with a bird that's too salty for their taste.
If I had it to do over again, I would recommend rinsing the bird before roasting, baking the stuffing in a separate dish, and using just enough of the pan juices to flavor the stock made from the giblets.
— Greg Atkinson, Chef
IslandWood