Turkey breasts are the best bet for smaller family Christmas dinners, but they can be on the dry, bland side. I like the taste of kosher poultry, which has noticeably more flavour and juice thanks to being dry brined. To me, wet brining is a pain as you need large pots, plenty of space in your fridge, time and a lot of salt. Although the end result is juicy, I find the juice is lacking in flavour – possibly because the poultry has absorbed water as well as salt.

This method is similar to but not the same as koshering and the end result is superb. Use kosher salt (it is not kosher but used for koshering). The flakes are larger, it is less salty and it has no additives. 

The best turkey breast

Roasted squash with Indian spices

Chicken and apple stuffing

Cranberry ginger upside-down cake