Cider Brined Grill Roasted Chicken With Grilled Apples And Sage Recipes

GRILLED APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the brine and chicken: Combine the salt, brown sugar and 16 cups (1 gallon) cold water in a large plastic container and stir to dissolve. Add the chicken; cover and refrigerate to marinate for 4 to 6 hours.
• Prepare a charcoal fire using about 6 pounds of charcoal and burn until the coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread the coals evenly over the grill bottom, position the grill rack above the coals and heat until medium hot (when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for no longer than 3 or 4 seconds). Or, for a gas grill, turn on all burners to high, close the lid and heat until very hot, 10 to 15 minutes.
• For the basting liquid: Whisk together 1/2 cup water, the vinegar, oil, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Drain the chicken well and pat dry; sprinkle with pepper. Apply some oil to the grill grate. Place the chicken on the grill, leaving plenty of space between each piece. Grill until seared, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium or move the chicken to a cooler part of the grill. Continue to grill, turning occasionally and brushing with the basting liquid, until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pieces from the grill as they cook and transfer to a warm platter. Serve immediately!

CIDER-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH APPLES AND GREENS

Steps:

• Pat the chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
• In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium. Cook the chicken thighs skin-side down, undisturbed, until the skin is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot, turn the heat to medium-low, then add the shallots and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
• Add the cider, cider vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the cider has reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot, skin-side up. Pour just enough broth around (not on!) the chicken to cover the sides of the thighs but not cover the skin on top.
• Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Partly cover and gently simmer until the thighs are cooked through and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate or sheet pan (if you'd like to broil the chicken in the next step), raise the heat to medium, and add the kale and apple to the pot. Cook, tossing often, until all the kale is wilted, the apples are just softened and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. While the greens cook, if you'd like to crisp the skin on the chicken, pop it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Taste for seasoning, and stir in 1 or 2 more teaspoons cider vinegar to taste. Divide the chicken and kale mixture among shallow bowls; serve with crusty bread to mop up broth.

MAPLE SAGE GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons apple juice, brown sugar, olive oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, mustard, sage, garlic and salt until blended. Pour 1 cup marinade into a shallow dish. Add chicken; turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Drain chicken, discarding marinade in dish. Place chicken on oiled grill rack. Grill, covered, over medium heat until a thermometer reads 165°, 7-8 minutes on each side., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine reserved marinade, remaining 1/2 cup apple juice and remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, 5-7 minutes. Serve with chicken.

APPLE CIDER-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine apple cider, apple jelly, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir just until jelly melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let marinade cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Place chicken thighs and marinade into a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and let marinate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove chicken from the bag and discard marinade.
• Grill chicken thighs until no longer pink in the centers, turning frequently being careful not to let chicken burn, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CIDER-BRINED GRILL-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH GRILLED APPLES AND SAGE

Steps:

• Brine the bird: In a small nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, combine the cider, table salt, the 2 Tbs. chopped sage, the rosemary, peppercorns and bay leaf and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour the brine mixture into a large, deep nonreactive bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in the ice water. Add the chicken, submerging it completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 to 6 hours.
• Soak the wood chips in cold water to cover for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Drain the wood chips before using.
• Prepare a grill for indirect grilling over high heat. Sprinkle the drained wood chips over the coals or use a wood-chip smoker box on the gas grill. Replace the grill grate and lightly oil it.
• Remove the chicken from the brine and discard the brine. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the cool side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 160°F, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving it. Grill the apples while the bird rests.
• Peel and core the apples and quarter each apple lengthwise. Toss the apples with the 2 teaspoons oil to coat. Place the apples on the hot side of the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until seared with grill marks on all sides and tender-crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Add the 2 teaspoons chopped sage and the butter to the apples and toss to coat. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
• Arrange the apples on the platter around the chicken. Carve the chicken and serve immediately. Serves 4.