Since we're both obsessed with chicken, and with trying every possible way to make chicken, I am brining my dinner this evening. Anthony is off to a work happy hour, and instead of joining him I gathered all the brining ingredients today, a bottle of wine, and the requisite chicken. So far so good.
The recipe I chose is called "Coffee-Brined Chicken"...sounded perfect to me since it's a combo of two of my fav. things. Below is the ingredient list and the recipe, courtesy of Bon Appetit.
So anyhow, I got home from the store with all of the stuff and got to work. The brining mixture was super easy to prepare...I took a photo of it and if I ever figure out how to post it you will see how lovely it looked.
The meat needs to sit in the brining liquid in the fridge for 2-3 hours. I'm just at the 2 hour mark so I think I'll give it another half-hour and then cook it. In the mean time I'm going to have a glass of wine and start the sauce....
So the sauce came together in 2 seconds...super easy.
Next I used some tongs to take the chicken out of the brining liquid, patted it dry per the instructions below and grilled it on my stove-top grill pan. (I used a little of the Pam Professional High Heat cooking spray on my grill pan.) I grilled each side about 4 minutes. Since I didn't feel like doing much else after this I just made some couscous as a side, put the sauce in a dish and sat down to eat.
The chicken was SO yummy. I love salt, so for people who aren't into salt or are watching their sodium, this might not be the dish for you...but I always say I would put salt on my salt if I could, that's how much I love it. So for me this salty chicken was delish. It was moist inside but had a nice slight crust to the outside, and the sauce was sweet and tangy enough to cut the saltiness of the chicken. I will definitely make this recipe again. I was even nice enough to save some in the brining liquid to whip Anthony up some dinner when he gets home from his work drinks.
So all in all I'm super psyched I tried the brining, and I really loved the results. I'll try to post the photos tomorrow.
Enjoy!
COFFEE-BRINED CHICKEN
Bon Appétit
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are the poultry cut grill jockeys both love and hate. We love the convenience (not to mention the fact that they're virtually pure protien with practically no fat). On the down side, they're rather bland in flavor and tend to dry out on the grill. Brining is a great way to compensate for both of these shortcomings — especially if you use this "redeye" variation on traditional brine. A shot of espresso adds an unexpected flavor (don't worry, it's subtle), along with an inviting mahogany hue. To complete the coffee motif, I propose serving the chicken with an espresso-flavored mustard barbecue sauce.
Servings: Serves 4. (Makes about 1 cup sauce.)
Ingredients for preparing the chicken:
- 1/2 cup hot brewed espresso
- 1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
- 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 4 lemon slices (each 1/4 inch thick)
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seed
- 2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (each 12 to 19 ounces), or 4 half breasts (each 6 to 8 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients for the "Redeye Sauce":
- 1 slice of bacon, thinly slivered
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons hot brewed espresso or strong coffee
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the espresso, salt, and brown sugar in a large nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 3 cups of cool water and the lemon slices, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander seed and stir to mix. Let the brine cool to room temperature.
2. If using whole chicken breasts, cut each breast in half. Trim any excess fat or sinews off the chicken breasts and discard. Rinse the breasts under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Remove the tenders from the chicken breasts and set aside for kebabs or satés. Add the chicken breasts to the brine and place a weight, such as a pot lid of plate, on top to keep them submerged. Or plate the breasts in a large resealable plastic bag and add the brine, let the chicken breasts brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, turning them twice so they brine evenly.
3. When ready to cook, drain the chicken breasts, discarding the brine. Blot the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Lightly brush each breast on both sides with the butter.
4. Arrange the chicken breasts on the grill on a diagonal to the ridges and cook the chicken, until cooked through, following the instructions for any of the grills below, until cooked through. Use the poke test to check for doneness: the chicken should feel firm when pressed. Or insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thick part if a breast through one end: The internal temperature should be about 160°F.
5. Transfer chicken to a platter or plates and serve at once with the Redeye Sauce #3 on the side.
For redeye sauce:
1. Place the bacon in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook until the fat begins to melt, about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the shallot and continue cooking until it and the bacon are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the espresso and cider vinegar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the mustard, brown sugar, cream, and Worcestershire sauce, reduce the heat to medium, and let simmer gently until the sauce is thick and flavorful, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
