Brining a chicken or turkey before cooking adds flavor and keeps the meat tender and juicy. There are 2 main types of brine techniques: wet brine and dry brine (or rub). Here's my favorite recipe for a wet brine suitable for poultry. Fresh herbs and aromatics are best, but you can substitute dried herbs and bottled lemon juice for convenience.
The hardest part for me is remembering to plan ahead and actually put the chicken into a brine! That's why I like that I can mix this all together and dunk a whole frozen chicken straight from the freezer. Then pop it into the refrigerator and forget about it for at least 24 hours.
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- 1 whole chicken, fresh or frozen
- 2 quarts tap water
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 3 lemons
- 4-6 6-inch sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
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In a stockpot or similar container large enough to hold your chicken, add the water and salt. Stir thoroughly until the salt is dissolved. Squeeze the lemons into the brine solution, add rosemary and pepper, stir well to combine.
Unwrap and rinse the chicken well. Submerge the whole chicken into the brine solution. Allow a frozen chicken to soak in the brine for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. If using a fresh chicken, allow to soak for at least 2hours and up to 24 hours. Rinse the chicken well prior to cooking.
Marie Nichols