BRINE WILD TURKEY BREAST RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. For the brine, peel and crush the garlic and pick the sage leaves. Mix together in a large bowl with the honey and vinegar, then squeeze in the lemon juice and finely grate over the zest. Add the chicken, 2 tablespoons of sea salt and 1 litre of water, and cover with clingfilm. Leave in the fridge for at least 2 to 8 hours, but preferably overnight.
  2. When ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge so it can come up to room temperature and preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  3. Finely chop the bacon, then scrub and finely slice the potatoes and sweet potatoes. Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic, then pick and finely chop the sage leaves, discarding the stalks.
  4. Get yourself a wide casserole-type pan or a roasting tray and add the bacon, all the sliced veg, garlic and the sage. Add a lug of olive oil and a good pinch of salt and black pepper and toss everything together.
  5. Pour the chicken stock into the pan or tray, then put into the oven for 30 minutes so the potatoes can begin to soften and soak up the stock.
  6. Drain the chicken breasts, discarding the brine, and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
  7. Take the potatoes out of the oven and pour over the cream. Sprinkle over a little more black pepper and finely grate over the Parmesan, then use a spoon to make little nests in the vegetables for the pieces of chicken to sit in. Place the chicken in these nests and dot little knobs of butter on and around the breasts.
  8. Return the tray to the oven to cook for 35 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through and the potatoes are delicious. To check if your chicken is cooked through, simply stick a sharp knife into the thickest part. If the juices run clear, you’re laughing.
  9. Serve straight away with nice simple greens or a salad and enjoy.

Steps:

• Mix the water and ingredients together in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil to help dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat and let cool in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
• Rinse the salmon fillet in cold water. If the salmon still has skin, remove it at this time.
• Cut the salmon into 3” wide by 4-5” length strips. I find this is an ideal portion size and the smoke penetrates the salmon evenly.
• Once the brine is cooled place the salmon into the large pot of brine. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
• After the brining process, remove the salmon and lightly dry it. Place the salmon on some racks and let sit on the counter for 4 hours. This lets the salmon dry evenly and creates a shiny skin called pellicle. This is a crucial step because the smoke will adhere to the salmon properly.
• Preheat your smoker: I start my smoker at 100F. I typically use maple wood for smoking Salmon.
• Once the smoker is ready I lightly oil the grills so the salmon will not stick. Place the salmon in the smoker for two hours. After the two hours move the smoker temperature to 140F and smoke another two hours. Then turn the smoker to 175F and smoke for two more hours. This is a total of six hours.
• If your smoker can not operate at such a low temp, smoke the salmon for 4-5 hours at 165F, or 3-4 hours at 225F.
• Remove the salmon and place on racks to cool on your counter. Rest for one hour. After the resting, you are ready to enjoy. Refrigerate the remaining portions.