Sugar-and-Spice Brined Salmon

You can’t open a food magazine these days without someone telling you to brine your pork, fish, chicken, you name it. While we think the idea—a heavily salted marinating liquid, sometimes with a sweetener added—has gotten a little overhyped, it serves an important role in many instances. Sometimes it’s used to aid with preservation; other times it firms the texture of an ingredient or, as in this marinade, adds flavor interest to everyone’s favorite fish.