Honey Mustard Brine

This brine is wonderful with a pork shoulder or racks of lamb. We would brine the shoulder for forty-eight hours and the lamb racks for twenty-four. Whole chickens would also be great after twenty-four hours in the brine and a few hours on a rack to dry. You could even follow the Roast Chicken (page 218) procedure to finish them and have a meal to remember. For root vegetables like parsnips or celeriac, we peel them, cut them into bite-size pieces, brine them for a couple of hours, pat dry, and then roast or sauté them. The honey helps amplify their natural sweetness while the mustard provides a great contrasting kick of acid and spice. They are wonderful alongside salmon or any other full-flavored fish.