Tag: Cook

Chicken + Brine + Grill = Moist and Tender Results

 

Chicken seems to be everyone’s favorite protein. It comes in assorted sizes and parts that can be boneless and skin-less or not. It fits into everyone’s budget even in the most inflated of times. It is extremely versatile and is at home on the stove, in the oven, and on the grill.

I cook a lot of chicken. I have planked it, sautéed it, diced and sliced it, I’ve even stuck a beer can up it’s butt. Chicken is easy to cook, but can go south just as easily, especially on the grill.  That’s where brining comes in.DIGITAL CAMERA

A brine is a liquid that has a lot of salt in it. It may have other ingredients, but salt and liquid are in  the majority. Brine imparts moisture to chicken which can go a long way to keeping it juicy and tender when grilled. Traditionally the liquid is water, but when it comes to chicken I’ve found that other liquids can work magic when combined with salt.

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Number one on my hit parade is buttermilk. It gives  flavor and the acidity tenderizes the chicken. Chicken breasts brined for several hours in a mixture of buttermilk, salt, onion, garlic and smoked paprika will hit the grill and come off of it juicy and flavorful.

To this basic brine you can add herbs and spices of your choice or leave anything out that doesn’t float your boat. Just keep in mind that the acidity in the buttermilk can begin to break down the chicken if it is left on for too long (keep it to 4 hours or so)

Beer can be an excellent brine base as well.  Again, the flavor of the beer will soak into theOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA chicken, give it a moisture boost and result in a tender and juicy piece of poultry. Chilis, onions, garlic, sugar, even a little lime (remember limes are acidic so keep brining time within that 4 hour limit).

Last but not least there’s water. I guess you could call it the traditional brine ingredient. Anything you put into beer or buttermilk can also be added to water, but don’t stop there.  No ingredients are off-limits. Use your personal favorites  and let your imagination run wild.

Now for the how to’s:

You will need a container that will hold the chicken ( whatever pieces you use) and enough brine to cover it completely. Oh, and it should seal tightly. Brine is not fun to clean out of the nooks and crannies in your refrigerator. Zip top plastic bags work well for breasts and thighs. For whole chickens and even turkeys, trash bags can get the job done.

The amount of salt also depends on how much chicken you’re brining. One tablespoon will do the trick for 3 -4 boneless chicken breasts. You will increase the amount according to how much liquid you need to cover your chosen poultry. Use Kosher salt if you can, it is additive free.

Brining time for non-acidic mixtures can be up to 24 hours…whole chickens and turkeys can soak even longer.

When you are ready to grill, remove the chicken from it’s salt bath and pat it dry. Throw the bath water away.  Powder the chicken with your favorite seasoning and grill. One more thing…because the chicken has absorbed some of the salt in the brine go easy on any salt you add before grilling. 20130625_172131 (1)

There’s still a lot of grill time left this summer, so dive into brine and come up with delicious chicken

Jambalaya – “Gonna Have Big Fun” In the Midwest

I love New Orleans. In years past I had the privilege of visiting several times. I was always impressed by the food, and the drink, for that matter. My visits, which were to catch up with my best friend who lived there for 7 years, usually consisted of going to the local (read little known hole in the wall) blues clubs and restaurants for awesome red beans and rice, muffaletas and fresh oysters( the best of these were where  the”shuckers” were right below the stage in the same kind of focused groove the musicians above them were). In my visits there I never had jambalaya. I never even thought about until we went to   Heaven on 7 in Chicago. I didn’t eat it there either, but it put Cajun and Creole food on my radar. It is my opinion that this cuisine is very labor intensive, but the results are more than worth the effort.

I recently discovered a fantastic recipe for jambalaya in a magazine. It was wonderful even though it was very labor intensive (cooking a whole chicken to create the stock and chicken for the dish – btw totally worth it) and I wasn’t able to get every ingerdient…who knew that Tasso is not a Midwestern commodity. For the record, I created what I think was an acceptable substitute: A thick slab of the smokiest ham the deli carried, rubbed with creole seasoning, white and black pepper and cayenne. But I digress…

Having made the traditional Jambalya I had the thought that the basic ingredients would make a good soup. That’s where this recipe came from. I was in possession of some fabulous andouille sausage from the Wurst Kitchen in Aurora Illinois. I also had chicken thigh trimmings in the freezer. Another digression: When I’m prepping boneless skinless chicken thighs for the grill, I trim the  ends that are barely connected as well as doing some trimming to create a more even thickness on each piece. I save these in the freezer to use in things, well, like soup….

Jambalaya Soup

1 T. vegetable oil

1 ½ pound andouille Sausage, chopped                                  Creole Seasoning, cayenne, white

1 pound chicken thighs cut in bite size pieces                       &  black pepper to taste

2 cups chopped onion                                                                       1 quart chicken stock

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped                                              1 cup  vegetable stock

1 C. celery, chopped                                                                             ½ C.  rice

5 – 6 garlic cloves, chopped                                                       Crushed Ritz Crackers (yup)

  1. Heat oil in large soup pot. Add the chopped andouille and cook until lightly browned and some fat has been rendered. Remove from pan.
  2. Add chicken to pot and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Remove from the pan.
  3. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery (a.k.a. The Trinity) to the pan and cook over medium heat until softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 3 – 4 minutes longer.
  4. Add approximately ½ cup of stock to the pan to de-glaze and loosen everything
  5. Add the rice and saute for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the rest of the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 – 20 minutes.
  6. Ladle into bowls and top with crushed Ritz Crackers.

This recipe makes 4 – 6 servings

NOTE: Okay, I know there is no ham in this recipe, and ham is key in any jambalaya recipe (I think “jam” means ham) but you can definitely add it to your version and who knows, I may add it to mine the next time I make it.