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.

Ingredients

　　1 gallon/3,600 grams water

　　1/2 cup/144 grams fine sea salt

　　1 cup/330 grams honey

　　1 cup/260 grams Dijon mustard

　　Put the water in a large bowl. Stir in the salt until it is dissolved. Stir in the honey and the mustard until they are dissolved. Reserve the brine in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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