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though you may need to double the brine recipe, depending on the size of your bird and your stockpot. I have various-sized stockpots and have even used a $5 Home Depot bucket when brining a big bird or ham. When you’re brining a turkey breast, it’s best to use one still on the bone; the bones help retain the shape and moisture and results in deeper, more succulent flavor.

THE BRINE

1 gallon/4 liters water

11⁄2 cups/350 grams kosher salt

1⁄2 cup/125 grams sugar

11⁄2 ounces/42 grams pink salt (8 teaspoons)

2 bunches fresh tarragon

5 garlic cloves, crushed with the side of a knife

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons/20 grams black peppercorns

1 whole turkey breast, 12 pounds/5.5 kilograms

1. Combine all the brine ingredients in a pot large enough to hold the turkey and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then refrigerate until chilled.

2. Place the turkey in the brine, and weight it with a plate to keep it submerged. Refrigerate it for 48 hours.

3. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels; discard the brine. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, and as long as a day.

4. Hot-smoke the turkey (see page 77) at 200 degrees F./93 degrees C. to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F./71 degrees C.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

WHISKEY-GLAZED SMOKED CHICKEN

Here two techniques, glazing and smoking, result in a rich mahogany-colored skin and a sweet tangy flavor from the bourbon, sugar, and cayenne. The technique is simple: the glaze is cooked to a light syrupy consistency and brushed on halfway through the smoking, and then again at the end. Serve hot or cold. It’s not always easy to make cold chicken look really appetizing, but this is one sure way to do it. It’s excellent served on lettuces with a vinaigrette or with a sharp potato salad.

THE BRINE

1 gallon/4 liters water

11⁄2 cups/350 grams kosher salt

1⁄2 cup/125 grams sugar

11⁄2 ounces/42 grams pink salt (8 teaspoons)

1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds/1.25 to 2 kilograms

THE GLAZE

1 cup/250 milliliters bourbon or wild turkey

1⁄2 cup/125 grams maple sugar or 1⁄2 cup/125 milliliters maple syrup

1⁄4 packed cup/50 grams dark brown sugar

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Combine all the brine ingredients in a pot large enough to hold the chicken and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.

2. Remove any giblets from the cavity and truss the chicken, then submerge it in the brine. Weight it down with a plate to keep it submerged (see the illustrations on page 64), and refrigerate for 18 hours.

3. Remove the chicken from the brine (discard the brine), rinse under cool water, and pat dry. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 3 to 4 hours, and up to a day.

4. Combine the glaze ingredients in a small heavy bottomed pan and bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and gently simmer until thick and syrupy and reduced to about a cup/250 milliliters. Remove from the heat and let cool.

5. Begin hot-smoking the chicken (see page 77). Halfway through the smoking—about 11⁄2 hours if you’re smoking at about 200 degrees F./93 degrees C.—remove the chicken from the smoker and brush all over with half the glaze. Return the chicken to the smoker and continue cooking until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 160 degrees F./71 degrees C.

6. Remove the chicken from the smoker and brush all over with the remaining glaze. It should have a deep brown lacquered color.

7. Serve hot, or cool and refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

Yield: 4 servings

HOT-SMOKED DUCK HAM

This preparation, in which duck breasts are brined and then smoked until fully cooked, is reminiscent of ham in flavor and in its ratio of fat to meat. The pink salt keeps the meat pink and gives it a cured flavor, enhancing the smoky, rich, meaty duck flavor.