Brined Roast Chicken
My favorite way to season any poultry? Brine it!
The meat stays juicier and the flavor is more delicious every time!
When the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, one of my favorite foods to cook and eat is roast chicken. Theres something so simple and delicious about a perfectly roasted chicken and veggies. What is my secret? Brining the chicken and roasting it on the bed of veggies. Using a brine helps to replace the water in the muscles with the seasoned brine which helps hold the juices in during the cooking process and gives it amazing flavor to boot!
Brined Roast Chicken
Brined Chicken
1 large onion
2 large carrots
2 stalks celery
2 sprigs rosemary
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1/4 C softened compound butter (see recipe here)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Chop veggies into large 2 inch pieces
Drizzle olive oil over veggies and lightly season with salt and pepper
Place rosemary sprigs on top of the veggies and rest the drained, brined chicken on top of the veggies.
Rub compound butter all over the chicken.
Roast for 45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees when placed in the thigh.
Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Brine
3 quarts water
1 orange, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 C brown sugar
1 T black peppercorns
1 T coriander seed
5 cloves garlic
Bay leaves
1/4 C salt
In a large container, combine brine ingredients and stir to dissolve.
Submerge your chicken in the brine for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
*This recipe is so easy to play around with! Use lemon instead of orange, different spices, add some maple syrup or molasses! Just make sure you use the same ratio of water (or beer!), salt, and sugar.
