The Secret to Perfectly Prepared Meat and Fish Dishes #Blog

Taste Cheshire
1st August 2016

As Head Chef at the 3 AA Rosette Lawns Restaurant at Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa, I am often asked to share a few kitchen secrets.

When it comes to preparing meat and fish, I can’t stress enough the importance of brining. The brining process makes a real difference when it comes to enhancing flavour and taste, whether it’s turbot, rabbit or even the meat for a Sunday roast.

At The Lawns Restaurant, brining all of our meat and fish is something that is incorporated into our philosophy. We always prepare different solutions, all based around a 10% brining liquor, for every piece of meat or fish before cooking and preparing further.

The brining process can be fairly time consuming, which is often why it is avoided at some restaurants. However, as far as I’m concerned, it is critical in the preparation of any meat or fish ingredient.

The process involves taking cold tap water or preferably mineral water and adding a 10% salt to liquid solution. After that, any other ingredients are added to the water whilst cold before the meat or fish is submerged for a period of time.

At The Lawns Restaurant, we use anything from fermented garlic to herbs, spice mixes, different aromats and fruit and veg to enhance flavour and add depth of taste to the ingredient.

Here’s how we brine our lamb for the perfect Sunday roast.

• The lamb leg is boned and laid flat in a tall sided container.
• The 10% brine solution is added so it covers all of the meat. Added to this is juniper berries (crushed), a whole bunch of mint, 6 black garlic cloves and 5 bay leaves.
• The leg is left for 12 hours in the solution and then washed off under cold running water for around 10-15 minutes.
• We reserve all the brine garnish to use while sealing the lamb off for roasting. The lamb is then patted dry with a clean cloth and the rolled and tied.
• It is then sealed until golden brown in a hot pan finished by adding a decent knob of butter and the other brine garnish.
• The leg is rolled in this butter and benefits tremendously from the flavour and colour it gives.
• The lamb is then roasted but the butter is passed and re-incorporated in to lamb gravy for service.

Brining meat or fish allows it to be seasoned evenly throughout and reduces the amount of seasoning required on cooking. The process also breaks down some protein in the meat, turning solids into liquids and increasing tenderness. Lastly, the meat or fish absorbs moisture from the brine, which counteracts any moisture lost during the rest of the cooking process.

The idea of brining meat or fish might seem like an unnecessary process that takes time but it is well worth it. Once you have prepared your first meal with a brined ingredient as the focal point, you will never go back to an un-brined way of life. Happy brining!