Brine Ingredients:
• 1 gallon water
• 3/4 cup kosher salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon each of dried tarragon, thyme, black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
I searched the house for my largest stock pot and then doubled the brine recipe to make sure I had enough coverage for the two chickens (about 4lbs. a piece) After adding the water and bringing it to a mild boil I added the remaining ingredients and allowed them to stew for about 5 minutes before removing it from the stove and allowing it to cool.
While it was cooling I got out my chickens and rinsed/cleaned them in the sink. I trimmed the excess fat off of the rear end and put the giblets in a Ziploc bag until tomorrow (The dogs will need a treat too!)
With that complete I placed the chickens in the fridge and found something else to do until the brine was cooled down. Once the brine cooled (I had to coax it a little with some ice) I place both chickens in the stockpot and put the whole thing in the fridge, which took a little reorganization. I'm going to leave it in the fridge until tomorrow morning, should be about 8 hours total. I hope this isn't too long, but since this is a balanced brine (sugar and salt), I think it will be ok.
2 comments:
In my one experience in brining I think about 24 hours is perfect with a max of maybe 30. You should pull it out of the brine 1 hour-45 minutes before you are ready to cook. I rinsed the center the chicken then pat it dry with a towel or paper towel. Then let the chicken or turkey sit on a pan until you ready to put the bird in the smoker.
Great brine recipe! I usually just use salt and some brown sugar, but this sounds vastly more flavorful!
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