Salting and brining

Salting or brining fish and meat really improves the produce by seasoning it throughout and locking in moisture that is often lost during cooking. It makes meat more tender and stops albumin (the white stuff that seeps out during cooking) forming in fish. It isn’t a necessity – any recipe in the book can be done without the salting and brining process – but you will get a better result. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to salt or brine: salting can help get a crispier skin if that’s the result you’re after, and brining increases the overall moisture content by approximately 20%. You can achieve moisture and crispy skin by brining first and then allowing the produce to air dry in the fridge.