Basil And Black Pepper Brined Chicken Food

BASIL-AND-BLACK-PEPPER-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a medium stockpot, combine 6 cups water, sugar, 1/4 cup coarse salt, and crushed peppercorns; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add 2 cups basil leaves. Let cool completely; cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Add chicken; refrigerate, covered, overnight.
• Bring chicken to a boil in liquid. Skim well; reduce heat and vigorously simmer until just cooked through and a thermometer inserted in thickest part of each piece (avoiding bones) reads 165 degrees, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet; let dry, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Chicken can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before grilling.)
• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium, then add remaining 1/4 cup basil and ground pepper. Prepare grill for direct and indirect cooking; lightly brush grates with oil. Grill chicken over direct heat, turning occasionally, 5 minutes. Brush with basil butter and continue grilling until charred in spots and heated through, about 10 minutes more. (If flare-ups occur, or chicken is nicely colored before it's heated through, move to indirect heat.) Remove from heat and brush with more butter. Serve, garnished with basil sprigs and sprinkled with flaky salt.

BLACK PEPPER BASIL CHICKEN WITH CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS (LOWER CARB

Steps:

• Place ground chicken in a container that can be closed with a lid, add the 1 Tbsp of Black Pepper Sauce and the minced basil, and mix well. Set aside. (I like to let this sit for at least 30 minutes before cooking.).
• Chop the leek, yellow onion, and cabbage into 1/2-inch pieces. Slice the red radish fairly thinly, but it doesn't have to be paper thin. Chop and mince the scallions (green onions) and garlic.
• Make the cauliflower "couscous": put the cauliflower florets into a food processor and whir until they're all broken up and look like couscous! It won't take long, perhaps a minute. Set aside.
• Add 1 Tbsp of the coconut oil to a large, hot, heavy pan on the stove (I use a large Le Creuset). As soon as it has melted, add in the vegetables (except for the cauliflower!) and combine well. Saute the vegetables, stirring *occasionally* (you want them to brown a bit and not simply steam in their juices), until they've softened some and most of them have a bit of browning on them, about 7-8 minutes.
• Combine the hot water and granulated (or powder) chicken bouillon and stir to dissolve. Pour into the vegetable mixture, add the Bragg's aminos (or tamari/soy), lower temperature to low, cover, and allow to simmer until softish or your desired texture. I prefer my veggies fully cooked, and simmering them together with the bouillon adds a lot of flavor.
• Meanwhile, in a separate hot, heavy pan (again, I use a Le Creuset), add the remaining 1 Tbsp coconut oil. When it is melted and hot - it won't take long - add the chicken mixture to flatten and spread it along the bottom to brown. When it has browned on one side, use a flat spatula to flip it over and brown on the other side. Don't stir it too much at first, as you want it to brown.
• Meanwhile, uncover the other pan containing vegetables. In a small dish, mix together the arrowroot powder with the cold water and stir together until well combined. Pour the arrowroot mixture into the vegetables and stir well - the vegetable liquid will begin to thicken. Continue stirring until everything is well-combined.
• When the chicken has fully browned, begin breaking up the meat into a "gravel" of the size you prefer.
• Add the browned chicken mixture to the vegetables, and stir to combine. Taste, and add an additional teaspoon of Black Pepper Sauce (or more, to taste) and/or Braggs/tamari/soy sauce to taste.
• Serve the Black Pepper Basil Chicken and veggies over 4 ounces of cauliflower "couscous" per serving, and enjoy!
• Note: I like the couscous just as they are, raw, but if you like you can microwave them briefly to soften them up. But raw they have almost the exact texture of cooked pasta-couscous, and they're delicious just as they are. Experiment, and decide for yourself.

CHICKEN WITH BASIL AND RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oil in wok or frying pan over medium heat.
• Add garlic, scallions, red pepper and stir fry 5 minutes.
• Add chicken and cook until done.
• Stir in fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar and cook until sauce begins to become thick (about 5-10 minutes).
• Stir in basil leaves and cook 5 minutes or just until leaves are wilted.
• Garnish with fresh basil if desired and enjoy.

BASIL LEMON BRINED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare an ice water bath for the basil.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to boil over medium high heat; wilt basil leaves, drain, and plunge basil into ice water bath, then drain.
• Puree blanched basil, salt, lemon zest, pepper and water in a mini food processor or blender until smooth.
• Combine chicken with puree in a large resealable plastic bag and allow to marinate several hours or up to overnight.
• Grill chicken over indirect heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F with grill cover on.
• Open grill lid and grill chicken, skin side down, over direct heat to crisp skin and give it some char, 1 or 2 minutes.
• Loosely tent chicken with aluminum foil and let rest several minutes before serving.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH RED PEPPER AND BASIL

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, stock, and garlic. Reserve 3 tablespoons. Add the chicken, turning to coat, and marinate for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare a stove-top griddle or outdoor grill. Grill the peppers, turning frequently, until charred and wrinkled, about 10 minutes. Remove to parchment paper to cool. Peel over the parchment paper, reserving the juices. Cut the peppers into 1/4-inch strips and place in a bowl. Stir in the collected juices and the reserved marinade. Season with salt and pepper.
• Grill the chicken until the juices run clear when pricked at the thickest point, about 4 minutes per side. Arrange the chicken over the Caramelized Corn with Shallots and spoon the pepper mixture on top. Garnish with the basil.