Brine that Bird!

I know we all live really, really busy lives and cooking, especially during the week, has to be simple.  I work full time and I certainly have those nights when I don't want to cook anything so we either go out or get take out.  When I do cook, however, I don't think about how many steps it will take to prepare the meal.  I just think, will this taste good?

So...speaking of an extra step that makes a huge difference, is taking the time to brine poultry.  A basic brine is a mixture of salt, sugar, and water although you can also add spices to the liquid.  The high osmotic content of the brine forces the salt, sugar, and spice mixture into the bird and flavorless poultry water out.  The resulting meat is juicy, flavorful, and incredibly delicious.  It really doesn't take that much more time to prepare (the only difference is that you have to brine the chicken the night before you cook it for dinner), but the result is absolutely worth the extra effort.

Note, a brine is NOT a marinade (a marinade is a simple combination of an oil, an acid, and a flavor enhancer).  The most notable difference is the lack of acids in a brine.  Don't add one.  It will break down the proteins too much leaving a gelatinous mass.  Marinades are great when used correctly, however.  I'll blog more on this in the future!