down birds. Salting the meat is nearly as effective at
preventing moisture loss, and the flavor gains are
noticeable. Want to know the truth? Even advanced salting
is not a necessary first step. I see it more as a safeguard
against overcooking. It provides a little buffer in case you
accidentally let that bird sit in the oven for an extra 15
minutes. As long as you are very careful about monitoring
your bird, there’s no reason to salt it in advance.
That said, it doesn’t hurt to take precautions and let
deliciousness, merriment, and family bonding ensue. You
may not all be able to agree on whether the cranberries
belong in the stuffing or on the side, but at least you can all
agree that this is one darn tasty bird.

HOW TO DRY-BRINE A BIRD

Salting poultry under its skin and letting it stand

for a   period  of  24  to  48  hours   in  the refrigerator    has

much     the     same    effect  as  brining.    At  first   the     salt

draws   liquid  out of  the meat    (and    this    time    it  really  is

through  osmosis),   but     then    it  dissolves   in  this

extracted    liquid,     forming     a   concentrated    bird-juice

brine   right   on  the surface of  the bird    that    then    goes

to  work    at  dissolving  muscle  fibers  the same    way as

a   regular brine.  Eventually, as  the muscle  fibers  get

more     and     more    relaxed,    the     liquid  is  reabsorbed.

Over    the course  of  a   night   or  two,    the salty   solution