Brined Roasting Chicken Recipes

DAVID LEITE'S BEST BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Add 3 cups of the cold water to a large Dutch oven or pasta pot. Pour in the salt, sugar, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve, and then turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile, add 2 cups of the water to a high-powered blender or food processor. Working in batches as needed, add the onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Purée until liquefied.
• Add the ice to the pot along with the remaining 6 cups of cold water. Stir until the ice cubes melt and the water is cold. Add the puréed ingredients. Submerge the chicken, cover the pot, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Place a rack in a roasting pan.
• Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Discard the brine.
• Place the bird on the rack in the pan and tie the legs together with kitchen twine, if desired. Brush with the melted butter and season generously with pepper. Roast (middle rack) for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh meat (away from the bone) registers 165°F (74°C). The skin should be brown and crisp. If it starts to overbrown, loosely cover with a large sheet of aluminum foil.
• Let the chicken sit, loosely tented with aluminum foil, for 15 minutes before carving.

ROAST BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix together salt, brown sugar, and water in saucepan until sugar and salt dissolve.
• Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, add herb/spices and allow to cool to room temp.
• Place chicken in a food-safe plastic bag and add slices of 1 lemon to the bag or place in the chicken cavity.
• Add the brine to the bag, making sure the chicken is covered completely.
• Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, and refrigerate for 24 hours, agitating brine mixture from time to time.
• The next day, remove chicken from the brine and discard brine.
• Rinse chicken with water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place chicken in a roasting pan and stuff cavity with additional sliced lemon, fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.
• Tuck additional garlic cloves under the skin of the chicken, if desired.
• Rub skin with unsalted butter and seaon with salt and pepper.
• Roast chicken at 400F until the internal temp reaches 170F and the leg moves easily in the joint, 1 1/2- 2 1/2 hours.

BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whisk the salt and sugar into the water until they are completely dissolved, add 3 stalks of Thyme. Place the chicken in a large bowl or pot and cover with the brine. Refrigerate over night or at least 2 hours, then remove it and dry well with a clean towel.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F Toss the vegetables and onions with oil and a bit of salt and pepper then pour them into a casserole dish or shallow roasting pan along with the bay leaves. Sit the chicken on top and roast until the thermometer reads 160°F instantly in the thickest part of the breast and 165°F in the thigh. Take a brush and brush the Browning Gravy all over the chicken generously and let cook to the desired color.
• Cooking time depends on the size of your chicken. Use the leftover thyme as garnish.