Brining a chicken before roasting...

[snags]

Does anyone here brine the chicken (soaking in salty water before roasting for juicier meat). Any hints/tips?

[webbo3]

if you want juicy meat, pop 2 quarters of a lemon and 2 quarters of an orange in the cavity, rub the chicken all over with butter and sprinkle with salt then cover with foil, wack the oven up on full blast then turn it down to about 160c and coo for the time required for the weight of the chicken, remove the foil for the last 20-30 mins to crisp the skin up, the juice also make a nice fruity gravy.


Dave.

[vivandorron]

No I don't.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised that chickens sold in Supermarkets have already been injected with salt water to add to the flavour. It's been my experience that the juices from such chickens and breast pieces etc. often taste salty.

Ron.

[Clanad]

Haven't done for a chicken but every Thanksgiving (here in the U.S.) we do one turkey brined. Simple, really, one just needs a non-reactive container big enough to cover the bird and the brine as well as a place to keep it cool.
Here's a simple recipe similar to the one we use but sized for a chicken. You can use different spices and herbs to suit your taste and some substitue chicken broth for some of the water:

1/2 cup roasted garlic cloves
2 cups water
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
2 bay leaves
1 (3-4 pound) whole roasting chicken
Method
1 Prepare the brine by combining garlic, water, salt, pepper and olive oil in a blender. Squeeze the juice from the lemon wedges into the brine, blend. Stir in the bay leaves.

2 Place chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag, or in a large non-reactive bowl. Pour the brine all over the chicken in the bag, or in the bowl. Add the (already squeezed) lemon wedges. Squeeze out all the air from the bag and seal, or place plastic wrap over the chicken in the bowl. Refrigerate overnight - 12 to 24 hours.

3 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the chicken from the brine. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the chicken. Place the chicken on a rack, in a roasting pan, breast side up. Roast for about an hour, until the juices run clear from the thigh when pierced with a fork. (Thigh meat should have an internal temperature of 160°F before removing from oven.)

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

[EcclesCake]

I don't brine but do follow a similar model to Webbo. I use a whole lemon quartered and few garlic cloves lightly crushed and some herbs, usually thyme and bay as we have them in the garden.

[snags]

Thanks for your replies...

[webbo3]

I should have said wack the oven up to full blast and when its up to temperature then put the chicken in and turn the oven down to about 160c.


Dave.

[Eve]

I don't brine it but often cook it with some seasoned water in the bottom of the oven tray and shove some butter (sometimes with garlic and herbs) under the skin so it soaks in and makes the meat juicier and skin on the top crisper. I'll sometimes put some foil over initially to seal everything in then take it off before the end of cooking so the skin gets nice and crisp and browned.

[vivandorron]

I like it Jenna... The simpler the better.

Ron

[Brenden]

Clanad are these USA measurements. i know they have cup sizes and have just given mine away.

[Clanad]

Here's what Wiki says is the conversion:
1 U.S. "legal" cup = 240 millilitres

It's always about a double handfull...