Citrus & Sage Brine

Everyone has their own method of keeping their poultry or pork moist while cooking it. From high temperature to low temperature, and vice versa, I have heard it all. In restaurants however, nothing reigns more supreme than a brine. Stripped down to the basics a brine is nothing more than a combination of water and salt that allows the the meat to absorb and retain the moisture even while cooking for a prolonged amount of time. So naturally its perfect for lean meats such as white meat on poultry and pork. A great baseline that I keep in mind when brining is 1 cup of kosher salt to every gallon of water, and 1 hour per pound. Also keep in mind that the weight is in reference to the unit as a whole. One 15 lb. bird will take 15 hours but 15 individual 1 pound chicken breasts will only need an hour in the brine. Here is my recipe for for this years turkey.

Citrus and Sage Brine Recipe

- 1.5 gall. Water
- 1.5 c. Kosher salt
- 3/4 c. Brown Sugar
- 2 lemon peels (using a peeler)
- 1 orange peel (using peeler)
- 1 bunch Sage
- 1 bunch Parsley
- 1 tbs Black Peppercorn
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 2 inch piece Ginger, sliced
- 2 Onions peeled and quartered
- 3 Garlic cloves

Procedure

- Place all ingredients except salt and herbs in a pot, bring to a simmer for 10 min.Remove and let cool.

- In your brine container place herbs and salt and bruise the herbs by rubbing the salt into them

- Mix the two together and stir until all of the salt dissolves

- Refrigerate and then add your meat

Cranberry Sauce

Its finally here, our favorite food holiday; Thanksgiving, and with it comes

all of its amazing foods. Staple side dishes engulf the dinner table. One after another they entice the senses and feelings of nostalgia. One however is always downplayed. Its the classic gelatinous mess that comes in a ridged tube, the one that mom always took out of the tin, sliced and put on the table as an afterthought of the whirlwind of a menu she created earlier that day. 

Since becoming a chef I have noticed that its the small touches that really make a meal. Adding a homemade sauce can be the thing that really sets this year apart. And its understandable that the thought of making something that you have never made before seems daunting, but to tell you the truth its extremely easy and worth every moment. The end result is something that doesn't compare to the overly saccharine jello from a can. Here is my own personal recipe that will be sure to satiate any cranberry sauce lovers cravings and convert anybody that has opposing feelings. 

For this recipe feel free to add or subtract any sugar to fit your wants. This is a great guidline, but dont be affraid to get creative with it! This is a way to truly put your own stamp on this years leading sauce.

Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

- 12 oz of fresh or frozen Cranberries 

- 2 sticks Cinnamon

- 2 Cloves, whole

- 1 C. Sugar

- 1 inch piece of Ginger,

                                  grated

                                - 1 orange, zested* and 

                                  juiced

                                - 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

                                - 1 tbs. Apple Pectin**

Procedure

- Place all ingredients except the orange juice and pectin in a nonreactive pot

- take the pectin and mix into the orange juice and work out any clumps, this will             prevent large lumps from forming in the pot and will save a lot of time from working     them out.

- Add the pectin mixture to the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer for 15 min 

- Cool to room temperature and then cool or serve.

* I have found that leaving in the zest of the orange causes the sauce to become overly bitter, so to prevent this from happening I take a peeler and peel the skin off the orange and then pull it out once the sauce is done.

** If you do not have access to apple pectin you can substitute 1 finely diced green apple.