Dry Brined Chicken Breasts Food

DRY-BRINED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• In a spice grinder, blitz the bay leaf pieces and peppercorns until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and add the salt, brown sugar and garlic powder, and rub it all together with your fingers.
• Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise into two pieces of equal weight, creating one shorter, thicker piece and one longer, thinner piece. Place the four chicken pieces on a large plate or sheet pan and sprinkle generously on all sides with the spice mixture, moving the chicken around to catch any fallen spices. Refrigerate, uncovered, to dry-brine for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour (any shorter and the osmotic brining process won't complete; any longer and you'll end up with deli meat).
• When ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and heat a large skillet with a lid over high heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet. Carefully add the chicken pieces, smooth sides down, and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the bottoms are browned but not burnt, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken, cover the pan and cook until the other sides are browned and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 155 degrees, another 5 to 7 minutes. You may want to pull the longer, thinner pieces off the heat a minute or two sooner, as they may cook faster.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute. The meat will continue to cook as it sits and should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You can also check for doneness by cutting into the chicken; it should look white and juicy and no longer pink. Slice the chicken against the grain (that is, perpendicular to the parallel fibers that run within the breast) and serve with lime wedges if you'd like. You can also keep the meat whole and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 4 days.

HOW TO DRY BRINE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat chicken completely dry, then set it on a rimmed baking sheet or other dish.
• Salt the chicken with coarse or kosher salt on both sides, and in the cavity.
• Whole chicken: use about 1 teaspoon of salt per pound
• Bone-in, skin-on cuts: use about 3/4 teaspoon of salt per pound
• Boneless, skinless cuts: use about 1/2 teaspoon of salt per pound
• After you've salted the chicken, place it in the refrigerator according to the times below. If refrigerating overnight or longer, place a loose tent of foil or parchment paper over the chicken.- Whole Chicken: 8-24 hours- Bone-In, Skin-On Cuts: 2-12 hours- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs: ½-1 hour
• Once the chicken is done brining, cook your chicken as the recipe directs - there is no need to rinse the chicken before cooking!

EASY-BRINE CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SICILIAN GLAZE AND PUTTANESCA-STYLE PANZANELLA

Steps:

• For the glaze: Heat the EVOO in a small pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the garlic, rosemary and chile pepper, and stir for a few minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced to 3 to 4 tablespoons, about 2 minutes. Peel the zest from the orange in strips and add to the pot. Stir in the chicken stock and honey, then cook at a low rolling simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
• For the brine: Put the onion, salt, garlic, rosemary, lemons and 4 cups water in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
• Heat a grill pan, griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Drizzle or brush the chicken with EVOO, then cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, gently warm the glaze. Baste the chicken with the glaze during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Serve the chicken with the Puttanesca-Style Panzanella.
• Cook's Note: Make 6 pieces of chicken breast and you'll have extra meat to slice for sandwiches or chicken salad the next day.
• Combine the tomatoes, parsley, onions and bell peppers.
• Whisk together the EVOO, vinegar, anchovy paste, garlic, chile pepper and lemon juice in a bowl.
• Pour water over the bread, then wring out the loaf and tear it into bite-size pieces. Toss the bread, vegetable mixture and olives with the dressing. Serve.
• Cook's Note: Wrap the bread loosely in foil overnight so it becomes stale and a little hard (if it goes too far, place it in a plastic bag overnight). If you are making the salad ahead of time, you can combine the vegetables and parsley in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate them. Pit and chop the olives and return them to their container in the refrigerator. Store the dressing in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before using.

DRY BRINED ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Remove chicken from packaging, remove giblet packet from cavity, and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Place in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Mix salt, orange zest, rosemary, and thyme together in a small bowl; rub 3/4 of the mixture all over outside of chicken; rub remaining mixture inside cavity. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove plastic wrap from chicken.
• Bake chicken in preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on size. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove chicken from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 20 minutes before carving.

STEVEN RAICHLEN'S BRINED CHICKEN..WORTH THE TIME!!

Steps:

• Rinse chicken under cold, running water and blot dry with paper towels. Arrange in a nonreactive baking dish.
• Make the brine: Place the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, chili pepper and bay leaves in a large, nonreactive bowl. Add the hot water, then whisk until the salt and brown sugar dissolve; stir in the cold water. Let brine come to room temperature.
• Pour over the chicken and stir in the lemon slices, onion and garlic. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning the chicken once or twice.
• Preheat the grill until coals are hot. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grate.
• Arrange the breasts on the hot grate, all facing the same direction, at a 45-degree angle to the bars of the grate.
• Cook the chicken over high heat, 4 to 6 minutes per side, rotating the breasts 90 degrees after 2 minutes on each side to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks. (To test for doneness, remove a breast from the grill and poke the thickest part with your finger. It should feel firm to the touch.)
• Transfer the chicken to a decorative platter and serve.

BRINED OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In the morning, combine 2 tablespoons of salt with 1 cup of water in a large bowl and stir to dissolve salt.
• Add chicken to bowl and cover with water.
• Place ice cubes over all and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Remove chicken from brine and pat dry completely.
• Place oil in roasting pan large enough to add chicken in one layer.
• Combine flour and seasonings in a plastic bag and add chicken pieces two at a time and shake until coated.
• As you take them out of the bag, shake them to remove excess flour.
• Lay chicken pieces in roasting pan, skin side down and oven fry until brown and crisp, about 40 minutes to an hour, turning once.
• Using a spatula, remove chicken pieces from pan onto paper towels to drain.