Thanksgiving Recipes: Michael Voltaggio's Turkey Brine

Recently I had the good fortune to stumble upon a Williams-Sonoma technique class for a "Contemporary Thanksgiving." While that class focused on an incredible sous vide then deep fried turkey, it did give up one technique that the outdoor cook can use for this Thanksgiving - brining. If you're going to smoke (like the bird pictured above,) fry or grill your bird it will benefit greatly from a little brine!

Brining is an age old secret technique used to add moisture and flavor to meats. I usually save my brining for poultry, but it can be used on just about any meat. OK, so brining adds moisture and flavor but how does it work? Darned if I know. There's a few theories and you can read about them on The Virtual Weber Bullet. Go ahead, it's a good read. I'll still be here when you get back.

So with all that contridictory information filling your head - are you ready to brine? I'll bet you are. Without further ado, here's Michael Voltaggio's Turkey Brine.

Ingredients:

• 21⁄2 gallons (10 l) water
• 1⁄4 cup (23g) whole cloves
• 1⁄4 cup (32g) peppercorns
• 1⁄4 cup (18g) coriander seeds
• 1⁄4 cup (23g) allspice berries
• 1⁄4 cup (41g) yellow mustard seeds
• 21⁄2 cups (625g) kosher salt
• 21⁄2 cups (545g) firmly packedlight brown sugar
• 2 each grapefruits, oranges,lemons and limes, halved and juiced, rinds reserved

Method:
In a large stockpot over high heat, combine the water, spices, salt and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the citrus juices and rinds. Refrigerate the brine until thoroughly chilled. Place the turkey into the cold brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. Make sure the turkey is full submerged in the brine.

This recipe makes enough brine for a 10 to 12lb turkey. Need more brine - increase the ingredients proportionately, based on the size of your bird. Don't just up the water content.

One last note: Don't try this on a Butterball or any other enhanced turkey. Use a natural "no added ingredients" bird. Check the label - the only ingredient should read TURKEY

First Look: Hill Country Chicken

So, what's the story behind Hill Country Chicken? Well, I got my first taste at about 8:30 pm on Friday night. What you're looking at are four pieces of fried chicken; a breast and thigh cooked Hill Country Classic style (skin on, breaded and seasoned with Hill Country Chicken Shake)and a leg and a thigh Mamma El Style (skinless, cracker crumb crust and seasoned with a special family recipe,) Picnic Stix (celery and carrot sticks,) Fire-n-Ice Pickles and Pimento Cheese. I also purchased a Mint Tea for me and a Creme Brulee for the wife at home.

So how's the food? I received four perfectly cooked, and I mean PERFECTLY cooked pieces of some of the most tender and juicy fried chicken I've ever had. Flavor wise, however, it was a mixed bag. The Hill Country Classic Chicken tasted as if it were rolled in Shake and Bake and then coated with another thick layer of salt. The Mamma El style - here they have something. A little sweet, a little salty, it's a perfectly balanced very tasty soft cracker coating. Beautiful. The Fire-n-Ice Pickles were sweet and spicy and a good complement to the chicken. The Pimento Cheese was a sweet, creamy orange cheese with just enough punch from the pimentos to make it interesting. Do yourself a favor and let it sit awhile before you eat it as the flavors improve as the cheese warms.

The mint tea was self-served warm with a barely noticeable hint of mint and the Creme Brulee, bruleed to order, was creamy smooth and delicious with a solid sugar crust.

Now how much does all this cost you ask? Well, frankly a lot more than I expected. A single chicken breast: $5.50, a thigh: $3,50, a leg: $2.25 and a wing (which I didn't get - they were out) is $1.75. The Picnic Stix are only $2.00 but is a complete rip off as I received one celery stalk cut into four pieces and 2 small sticks of carrot. The Pimento Cheese was an additional $1.00 with the purchase of the Stix and easily worth the cost. And finally, the Fire-n-Ice pickles were only 50 cents, but frankly I think they should have been included gratis with the meal.

The large mint tea was $2.50 and the "3 inch pie cup" Creme Brulee was $3.00.

What's the place look like? Think 50's retro dinner. Hill Country Chicken could be right at home on the set of The Andy Griffith Show. There are a couple of problems with the layout. The drinks are dispensed from a nook located off to the side. It's a small counter behind the condiment stand and really much to small to service the restaurant efficiently. The other issue I have is that the counters that line the windows are much too high for the chairs. Not a big deal, but eating at the counter was not very comfortable.

So will I be back? Probably. Hill Country Chicken has something great in Mamma El's bird and the sides I had were all very good, but the prices ($27 for 8 pieces of chicken with four biscuits, c'mon) will make me reconsider.

R.I.P Colonel Sanders

R.I.P.
Colonel Harland Sanders
September 9, 1890 - December 16, 1980

Yes Virginia, there really was a Colonel Sanders. In case you don't know the good Colonel, he founded Kentucky Fried Chicken and created its signature secret flavor recipe of 11 herbs and spices that creates the famous "finger lickin' good" chicken.

I love this guy. In 1973 he sued Heublein Inc. (the KFC parent company at the time) over alleged misuse of his image in promoting products he had not helped develop. In 1975 Heublein Inc. unsuccessfully sued Sanders for libel after he publicly referred to their gravy as "sludge" with a "wallpaper taste". I wish there were more like him.

He must be turning in his grave over the mashed "potatoes" and bowls they serve today.