To brine or not to brine: That is the vexing question that faces Thanksgiving Day cooks determined to turn out a moist, succulent roast turkey deserving of their guests' oohs and ahs.

It would seem a no-brainer to go the brining route, given its acclaim as a sure-fire way to impart moisture to cooked meat. Yet the practice of immersing a 14-pound turkey for hours in a salt-water solution does have its detractors, who question whether all that extra labor is really worth it.

Roast a turkey properly, they say, and you won't ever have to fret about ending up with a tough, chewy bird.

"I've roasted turkeys every way you can possibly roast them, and having written three Thanksgiving cookbooks and having made hundreds of Thanksgiving turkeys, I can tell you, brining sucks," said cooking teacher and food writer Rick Rodgers, author of "Thanksgiving 101." He's actually a fan of dry brining, but more about that later.

"Brining makes a perfectly delicious turkey turn into a ham with all this artificial flavor you're forcing into this bird."

With all due respect to Rodgers, brining has made a believer out of me. The first time I gave my turkey an hours-long soaking prior to roasting, my family raved about the results, concluding that it was the juiciest Thanksgiving bird they had ever tasted.

Many chefs swear by the technique, which not only tenderizes the turkey but infuses it with subtle flavors, especially if you embellish the brining solution with fresh herbs, apple cider and even citrus.

Yes, it can be a hassle, and rarely is there enough room in the refrigerator for the brined turkey and its container, but that's a hurdle easily overcome with a cooler and some ice.

That is what Marine Room executive chef Bernard Guillas uses for brining his turkey at home, along with a sturdy plastic bag for holding the turkey and the salt-water solution.

"Brining is good because it really gives more depth to the flavor," said Guillas, who has used cider and pomegranate juice on different occasions as his brining liquid. "What's great about it is, when it cooks you really seal all the juices inside while the outer layer gets caramelized."

While there are varying theories on the science behind brining, the common thinking is that the salt solution permeates the muscle cells through osmosis, making it so the fibers can trap a significant amount of water during the cooking process, plumping up the turkey.

Radio food talk show host Melinda Lee likens the process to unraveling a tightly twisted rope. "If you put that rope in a brine, the brining process untwists the rope, and now there are spaces between the fibers of the rope where the juices can accumulate, and there's also a little amount of stickiness," said Lee, whose show airs on Los Angeles-based KNX 1070.

And the turkey, she points out, absorbs only a small portion of the generous amount of salt that typically goes into a brining solution, which often includes sugar to help tame any saltiness.

"We should care about brining because turkey is a very dense meat," said Lee. "There are not a lot of places within it for juices. But brining is a process that is different from marinating, which is there mainly for adding flavor."

When brining, I find it easiest to begin the process the day before Thanksgiving, since on the holiday itself there are already are so many culinary tasks waiting. Recipes vary on the amount of time needed to brine properly, with some calling for as little as six hours, while others prescribe as much as 10 to 24 hours, depending on the size of the turkey.

There is also some disagreement on whether it's necessary to bring the brining solution to a boil, which is said to help steep any aromatics that have been added, as well as to help dissolve the salt. Just remember, the solution should be cooled completely before you dunk the turkey in it.

While there are a number of varieties of salt available these days, when brining, it's best to use kosher salt. Lee characterizes it as sweeter and more pure than table salt. Stick to a ratio of 2/3 cup to 1 cup of salt per gallon of water or other liquid you may be using. Whether you boil the brine or not, be sure to dissolve the salt completely before immersing the turkey in the liquid.

FLAVORFUL ADDITIONS

For more ambitious briners, a number of flavorful ingredients can be added to the mix.

Jeff Rossman, executive chef at Terra Restaurant in San Diego, likes to jazz up his brine with a wide variety of herbs and aromatics, although he acknowledges the flavor they add is ever so subtle.

"It's really a preference for people," said Rossman, whose restaurant staff will prepare 20 turkeys for Thanksgiving. "You can even put molasses in the brining solution. I use rosemary, thyme, garlic, peppercorns, juniper berries.

"You don't get a whole lot of extra flavor; I think it's more background stuff. When you put the seasonings in before cooking the turkey, that's where you get the flavor."

For those who don't have room in the refrigerator to brine the turkey, place the bird instead in a sturdy plastic bag along with the brining solution and then keep it cold in a cooler filled with ice. Guillas advises against using trash bags.

Once the brining process is complete, you can rinse off the turkey, although it's not essential, and then pat it dry. Some people suggest leaving the turkey for several hours uncovered in the refrigerator after brining, arguing that it will make the skin crispier during the roasting process.

Rodgers, of "Thanksgiving 101," dispenses with the whole liquid brining process, choosing instead to coat his turkey with a seasoned salt mixture that includes dried herbs. The turkey is stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to 24 hours and then is rinsed off.

"What happens is that the salt will draw a small amount of liquid out of the turkey, and those juices intermingle with the salt and the seasoning," Rodgers explained. "The salt opens up the fibers in the turkey so the seasoned salt through osmosis goes throughout the bird, so you do get this deep flavoring.

"I'm not adding moisture but helping keep what's there inside."

For those cooks who really want to keep it simple, turkey guru Mary Clingman suggests buying a frozen Butterball turkey. The breast meat, she said, already has been basted with a salt recipe to ensure juiciness.

"Trying to put a pot of brining solution in my refrigerator is the least of my worries," said Clingman, director of the Butterball turkey talk line. "Butterball has done the work for me."

ULTIMATE BRINE FOR TURKEY

1 1/2 cups flaked kosher salt, such as Morton Kosher Salt

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

10 whole cloves

3 teaspoons black peppercorns

1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) apple juice or non-alcoholic cider

Peel from one orange or one tangerine (colored part only, not white pith)

3 teaspoons dried thyme, optional

3 teaspoons dried sage, optional

Yields 1 1/2 gallons.

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes partly covered. Allow to cool completely.

Rinse turkey under cool water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity). Pat dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine. Turkey should be completely submerged. Place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with liquid. Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry and roast as usual.

Notes: For a very crispy skin: After removing the turkey from the brine, rinsing it and patting it dry, allow the turkey to stand uncovered in the refrigerator 6 to 12 hours or overnight.

If you don't have room in your refrigerator, or a pot big enough to brine a turkey, place turkey and brine in a food-safe plastic bag, such as a turkey roasting bag, then place that in an insulated cooler, a large stock pot or plastic crate, or even a deep sink, and surround by ice, blue ice or plastic bottles that have been filled with water and frozen. Brine temperature should be maintained at below 40 F for safety. If needed, add more ice.

— From Melinda Lee.

Lori Weisberg writes about food for The San Diego Union- Tribune. Contact her at lori.weisberg@uniontrib.com.

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