Instructions

1. Pour 1 cup of kosher salt and 1 gallon of water in a sauce pot and place it on the stove. A ratio of 1 cup kosher salt to 1 gallon of water constitutes a basic brine.

2. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the brine, if desired. Sugar doesn't aid in moisture retention, but adds a subtle sweetness to the background flavor of the goose.

3. Set the heat to high and bring the brine to a boil, whisking occasionally to help dissolve the salt. Turn the heat off.

4. Add aromatic ingredients to the brine as soon as you turn the heat off. You don't want to inundate the brine with aggressive dried spices like garlic or chili pepper, but instead focus on whole, aromatic spices and background flavors that merely lend support to the goose. A classic combination might include half of a cinnamon stick, three or four cracked black peppercorns, half a California bay leaf, a pinch of allspice and a clove.

5. Stir the aromatic spices in and let them steep while the brine reaches room temperature. Pour the brine in a food storage container and place it in the refrigerator until it chills to refrigerator temperature.

6. Remove the giblets from the cavity and rinse the goose inside and out with cool running water while you chill the brine. Pat the goose dry with paper towels and set it on a cutting board.

7. Trim the loose hanging fat from the goose with a kitchen knife, paying particular attention to the area around the cavity. If the goose still has the tail remnant, snip it off with kitchen shears.

8. Place the goose in a food-grade container large enough to submerge it completely in the brine or in an oven cooking bag that doesn't have steam vents.

9. Stir the brine and pour it over the goose. If you used an oven cooking bag, seal it and place it in a shallow dish. If you used a food storage container, seal it with the lid.

10. Place the dish or container on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Brine the goose two hours for every pound. Turn the goose over after eight hours of brining.

11. Remove the goose after brining it for two hours per pound. Rinse the brine from goose with cool running water and pat it dry inside and out.

12. Place the goose in a clean, shallow dish, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator until you cook it. Discard the brine.