Basic Brine for Chicken
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at 9:26PM 1/3 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 quarts of water
1 Chicken
Combine the sugar salt and water in a large bowl. Add the chicken, breast side down, and submerge in brine. Allow to brine for at least 8 but no more than 24 hours. Follow your favorite recipe to cook the chicken!
Some Variations:
Use Maple Syrup instead of Sugar
Add rosemary, thyme, and sage
Add a 1 inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced, 1 Tbs Five Spice Powder, and a few star anise, and replace salt with 1 cup soy sauce
Add 1 apple, the peal of 1 orange, and the peal of 1 lemon (just be careful that the solution doesn't become too acidic or else the brine will become a marinade and the protein in the chicken will turn into mush. If you use this variation, I recommend only brining the bird for 8 hours)
The possibilities are endless!