RECIPE: The BEST Chicken Brine

1. Use a pot big enough to hold you meat. Dissolve kosher salt in water in the pot on slow simmer for about 2 minutes. The basic ratio is one tablespoon of salt for every one cup water.
2. Now throw in all the fancy flavor enhancing ingredients into water. Add crushed garlic, pepper corns, bay leaves, lemon slices, honey and fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme and parsley.
3. Bring water to boil for about a minute, stir to dissolve salt.
4. Remove pan from stove. Allow water to cool completely.
5. IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT put chicken in the brine before it’s completely cool. Warm temperature of the brine will make scary harmful bacteria’s in the chicken. It can lead to serious health hazards!
6. Cook’s Tip: To help brine cool down faster, allow the pot to cool down a bit and then place the pot in fridge to cool brine faster and cool it completely.
7. Place whole chicken in cooled brine.
8. NOTE: chicken should be fully immersed in brine.
9. Cover pot with lid and brine chicken inside refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours. Do not go past that. Chicken will begin to absorb salt and will turn overly salty.
10. Note: if chicken isn’t fully immersed in water, go ahead and add 1 to 2 cups of extra water (room temperature water).
11. After brining, remove chicken from brine. Rinse under tap water.
12. IMPORTANT: Don’t skip rinsing brined chicken under tap water. This will wash off some of the salt over the chicken. I found when not rinsed, brine chicken after roasting turned a bit salty.
13. DISCARD THE BRINE. Raw meat in the brine marinade can cause contamination if used. Discard brine after removing chicken from it.

How To Roast Brine Chicken

1. Remove chicken from the brine. Rinse it under tap water.
2. Pat dry chicken with paper towel to remove excess moisture.
3. Tie the legs of the chicken with a string.
4. Rub softened butter (unsalted) all over the chicken.
5. Sprinkle pepper powder on top.
6. Note: I did not add salt.
7. Place the chicken over a rack lined over baking tray or any other heavy based baking pan like cast iron pan. Set aside in fridge uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Roast chicken in pre-heated oven at 400 degree F for 30 minutes.
9. Remove from oven. Using tongs inserted into the chicken, flip chicken to breast side up. Continue roasting for about 30 to 40 minutes.
10. Rotate the pan half way through if not browning evenly. And keep brushing the top with butter atleast 3 to 5 times in between roasting time.
11. Stick a thermometer around the thighs and if it read 165 degree F chicken is cooked.
12. Note: Brined chicken cooks faster.
13. Remove chicken from oven. Cover it with aluminium foil and rest it for 15 minutes. It’s important to let the chicken rest before carving.
14. IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not use the liquid from the pan to drizzle over chicken. It’ll turn chicken salty.
15. Serve this crazy-juicy roast chicken as a meal with sautéed beans and mashed potatoes on sides.