What Brine for Chicken?

AndyR

Good weekend to all,[p]I'll be cutting up a whole chicken and want to brine it overnight. Is overnight recommended and what ingredients would you use? I plan on halving and grilling it.[p]Thanks[p]AndyR

Cat

AndyR,[p]I use a very simple brine: 1 cup each kosher (non-iodized) salt and 1 cup sugar (brown or white) to 1 gallon water. Eight hours or overnight is fine.[p]Cathy

Char-Woody

Cat, strange world.. I just put on a whole, fat, plump rooster roaster (I know it was a rooster roaster..his registration was left behind) I brined it in my super jar from Wal-Mart (holds two 8lb chickens) and I used your ingredients, plus a sliced up clove of elephant garlic, plus a few bay leaves, plus a few very thin see thru slices of oinion. The big jar fits nicely in my fridge bottom with a shelf removed. (spare fridge)
Now smoking in sugar maple and a fist sized hunk of hickory.
Cheerio...going deep sea hunting for mermaids again. :-)
C~W[p]

Cat

Char-Woody,[p]I'm glad to see you're back at the Egg.[p]Grilled shrimp here tonight, smoky spareribs tomorrow.[p]Cathy

AndyR

Cat,[p]If I remember right, I read that brine in Smoke & Spice. I was going to use that as a base. Have you ever added other ingredients with success? Thanks for your reply, hope to get to meet you the Fest.[p]AndyR

Cat

AndyR,[p]You can put in any herbs & spices you like; you'll get more flavor out of them if you boil them in the brine and let it cool (thoroughly) before adding the bird. [p]The effect is subtle, and I'm usually too lazy to bother; just the salt and sugar do wonders. John Ash had a great brine in a magazine a while ago; it had maple syrup and a lot of fresh garlic, I think. If you're interested I'll hunt it up and e-mail it to you.[p]Look forward to meeting you too -[p]Cathy

Char-Woody

Cat, yeh, back to my old snarly self again..And your right, I added my gunk to the brine and almost boil it..Good and hot anyway..stir and let sit. Not for your info..just anyone reading..your the best!
Cheers..C~W[p]