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cure
dry brine: salted all over, uncovered in the fridge, 1-3 days
the thawed bird patted dry, salted everywhere including inside, and left UNCOVERED on a rack in the refrigerator — the salt travels in over a day and the fridge air dries the skin to parchment; this one step replaces the wet brine, the basting, and most of the anxiety, which is why the modern canon converged on it