Feta Brined Roast Chicken Food

FETA-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• The day before serving, combine 2 ounces feta, 2 teaspoons salt and 4 cups water in a blender and blend until smooth. Put chicken in an extra-large resealable plastic bag or a container large enough to submerge chicken, and cover with the feta brine. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Before cooking, remove chicken from brine and transfer to a towel-lined tray. (Discard brine.) Pat chicken dry with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, the oregano and the zest of the lemons (about 1 tablespoon). Liberally cover chicken in herb mix and gently massage entire bird. Halve lemons and place 3 halves in cavity (save remaining half for serving). Using kitchen twine, tie legs together.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add oil and heat until it just smokes. Place chicken, breast-side up, in pan. Transfer entire pan to oven. Cook, basting once or twice, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven, then stir remaining crumbled feta into juices in pan and stir well. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes in the pan before slicing and serving on a bed of greens, with feta-laced pan juices on top, drizzled with a little lemon juice from the reserved lemon half.

FETA-BRINED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Pound chicken to an even 1-inch thickness and place in a gallon-sized resealable bag.
• Lightly crush oregano and rosemary sprigs using the back of a knife or a meat mallet so they are lightly bruised but still whole. Place on top of chicken.
• Combine feta cheese, reserved brine, water, and garlic in a blender and process until smooth. Pour brine mixture over chicken, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. Brush with olive oil place in a large baking dish. Season with black pepper and place a lemon slice on each breast.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 22 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).