STEVEN RAICHLEN'S BRINED CHICKEN..WORTH THE TIME!!
Steven Raichlen's Brined Chicken I love the way Steven Raichlen, author of "The Barbecue! Bible," uses brining to tenderize meat and to add flavor. I also love the way the sugar in the brine caramelizes the chicken as it grills.
Provided by Loves2Teach
Categories Chicken Breast
Time 2h15m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Rinse chicken under cold, running water and blot dry with paper towels. Arrange in a nonreactive baking dish.
- Make the brine: Place the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, chili pepper and bay leaves in a large, nonreactive bowl. Add the hot water, then whisk until the salt and brown sugar dissolve; stir in the cold water. Let brine come to room temperature.
- Pour over the chicken and stir in the lemon slices, onion and garlic. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning the chicken once or twice.
- Preheat the grill until coals are hot. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grate.
- Arrange the breasts on the hot grate, all facing the same direction, at a 45-degree angle to the bars of the grate.
- Cook the chicken over high heat, 4 to 6 minutes per side, rotating the breasts 90 degrees after 2 minutes on each side to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks. (To test for doneness, remove a breast from the grill and poke the thickest part with your finger. It should feel firm to the touch.)
- Transfer the chicken to a decorative platter and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 258.5, Fat 2.3, SaturatedFat 0.6, Cholesterol 98.7, Sodium 7196.6, Carbohydrate 19.6, Fiber 1.7, Sugar 14.6, Protein 40.1
BOURBON-BRINED CHICKEN
Desperate times call for desperate measures. In the past thirty years, all meat in the United States has gotten leaner, and the boneless, skinless chicken breast is no exception. This popular cut is about as low in fat as meat can be. So what's the problem? Well, fat is what carries flavor and it's what keeps meat from drying out during grilling. That's where brining comes in - this traditional American technique puts moisture back in meat. And the bourbon? Well, this distinctly American whiskey adds a smoky sweetness that's perfect for grilled chicken. ShareTweetPin12 Shares
Provided by Steven Raichlen
Number Of Ingredients 1
Steps:
- Step 1: To make the brine, combine the bourbon, salt, brown sugar, lemon slices, garlic, peppercorns, and mustard and coriander seeds in a large nonreactive bowl with 4 cups of water and whisk until the salt and brown sugar dissolve. ShareTweetPin12 Shares Step 2: If using whole chicken breasts, cut each breast in half. Trim any sinews or excess fat off the breasts and discard. Rinse the breasts under cold running water, then drain. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag and add the brine. Let the breasts brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, turning the breasts twice so that they brine evenly. ShareTweetPin12 Shares Step 3: Set up the grill for direct grilling by placing the grate over your heat source, and preheat to high. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks, if desired, in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to high, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks, if desired, on the coals. ShareTweetPin12 Shares Step 4: When ready to cook, drain the brine off the chicken and blot the breasts dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Lightly brush both sides of the breasts with the melted butter. Brush and oil the grill grate, then arrange the chicken breasts on the hot grate, placing them on a diagonal to the bars. Grill the breasts for 2 minutes then rotate them a quarter turn to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks. Continue grilling the breasts on that side for 2 minutes longer. Turn the breasts over and grill until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes longer, again rotating them after 2 minutes to create a crosshatch of grill marks. The total cooking time will be 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. To test for doneness, poke a breast in the thickest part with your finger; it should feel firm to the touch. Transfer the grilled chicken breasts to a platter or plates and serve at once with your favorite barbecue sauce. ShareTweetPin12 Shares
DRY-BRINED CHICKEN BREASTS
A short, simple dry brine can take a pallid chicken breast from bland to glam. Dark brown sugar is especially welcome since its molasses provides additional moisture. Dried bay leaves, ground to a powder, lend an aromatic woodsiness that will make you think, "Oh, that's what bay leaves taste like." But it's the salt here that's most crucial, as it draws out the meat's water. That water then dissolves the salt and, through diffusion, the two reenter the meat, seasoning the chicken thoroughly and encouraging water retention during cooking. You can enjoy it right out of the skillet with a spritz of lime juice or save it to serve in salads, sandwiches, fried rice and the like.
Provided by Eric Kim
Categories dinner, poultry, main course
Time 55m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a spice grinder, blitz the bay leaf pieces and peppercorns until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and add the salt, brown sugar and garlic powder, and rub it all together with your fingers.
- Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise into two pieces of equal weight, creating one shorter, thicker piece and one longer, thinner piece. Place the four chicken pieces on a large plate or sheet pan and sprinkle generously on all sides with the spice mixture, moving the chicken around to catch any fallen spices. Refrigerate, uncovered, to dry-brine for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour (any shorter and the osmotic brining process won't complete; any longer and you'll end up with deli meat).
- When ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and heat a large skillet with a lid over high heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet. Carefully add the chicken pieces, smooth sides down, and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the bottoms are browned but not burnt, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken, cover the pan and cook until the other sides are browned and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 155 degrees, another 5 to 7 minutes. You may want to pull the longer, thinner pieces off the heat a minute or two sooner, as they may cook faster.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute. The meat will continue to cook as it sits and should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You can also check for doneness by cutting into the chicken; it should look white and juicy and no longer pink. Slice the chicken against the grain (that is, perpendicular to the parallel fibers that run within the breast) and serve with lime wedges if you'd like. You can also keep the meat whole and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 4 days.
GARLIC-ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS
Thick chicken breasts can be hard to get just right; often you're left with a too-dry, too-bland dinner. But this high-heat roasting method results in crisp, crackly skin that gives way to moist flesh, perfumed throughout by a pocket filled with herbed garlic paste.
Provided by Ian Knauer
Categories Chicken Garlic Poultry Roast Quick & Easy Wheat/Gluten-Free Dinner Lunch Gourmet Sugar Conscious Paleo Dairy Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 4 (main course) servings
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in upper third.
- Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then transfer to a bowl. Stir in oregano, red-pepper flakes, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Cut a 2-inch-long pocket (about 1 1/2 inches deep) horizontally in side of each breast half and spread 1/2 teaspoon garlic mixture into each pocket. Coat chicken with remaining garlic mixture.
- Roast chicken, skin sides up, in a foil-lined large shallow baking pan until just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST STUFFED WITH PROSCIUTTO AND BASIL
Categories Chicken Mustard Kid-Friendly Quick & Easy Mozzarella Basil Summer Grill/Barbecue Prosciutto Gourmet Small Plates
Yield Makes 2 Servings
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Prepare grill.
- On a work surface spread prosciutto slices evenly with mustard. Top slices with basil leaves and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella. Starting with a short end roll up each prosciutto slice.
- Pat chicken dry and put on a work surface, skinned sides down. Remove "tender" (fillet strip located on either side of where breast bone was) from each breast half, keeping rest of chicken breast intact, and reserve tenders for another use. (There should be 1 tender from each breast half.)
- To form a long thin pocket in chicken for prosciutto roll: Put chicken breast halves on cutting board and, beginning at thicker end of breast half, horizontally insert a thin sharp knife three fourths of the way through center of each. Open cut to create a 1-inch-wide pocket in each half. Fit a prosciutto roll into each pocket and season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Grill chicken on a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, chicken may be grilled in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately low heat.)
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