Chicken Brine (4 chickens/8 halves)
0Ingredients
- 16 cups water
- ¾ cup kosher salt
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons dried basil, or to taste
- 2 heads garlic, crushed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 large bay leaf
Directions
- Bring water, kosher salt, sugar, sage, basil, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat; this could take upwards of 20 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until salt and sugar are dissolved completely, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Let brine sit at room temperature for 2 hours; this lets the dried herbs steep and really enhances the flavor of the brine. Refrigerate to finish cooling before using, at least 1 hour.
To Use:
Scale for your chicken count. Brine should be completely cooled before using. Follow the directions for your chicken recipe, but in general, a whole chicken can be brined for up to 8 hours, while bone-in pieces can be brined for up to 4 hours. I think this works best with half chicken (cut out backboat and split breast) store in big pasta pot in fridge over night and grill or bake.
Bryan
