# Brined Chicken
## Ingredients
### Brine
- `1` gallon cold tap water
- `1/2` cup table salt
- `2` lemons , quartered
- `10` sprigs parsley , fresh
- `7` sprigs thyme
- `2` sprigs rosemary
- `5` bay leaves, fresh (or 3 dried)
- `1/4` cup honey
- `6` garlic cloves, smashed (Note 3)
- `1` tbsp black peppercorns
### Roast Chicken
- `1` whole broiler chicken
- `3` tbsp / `40` g butter , melted
- Salt and pepper to season
## Instructions
### Brining
- Pour about 1/3 of the water into a large pot (large enough for the brine and submerged chicken) with remaining Brine ingredients. Bring to boil boil 1 minute, stir to dissolve salt.
- Remove from heat, pour in remaining water. Cool completely before using (I cool about 30 min then refrigerate 1 1/2 hours). DO NOT put chicken in before full cool, this is a health hazard
- Flip chicken upside down so legs and breast are on underside. Submerge chicken in brine, cover and refrigerate for 12 - 24 hours. Don't worry if underside of chicken doesn't stay under water - the the breast side is, that is what matters.
### Roasting
- Remove chicken from brine and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
- Tie legs with string (if desired), tuck wings under. Drizzle/brush with most of the butter all over, including underside (butter will firm up on contact).
- Sprinkle with pepper and the TINIEST pinch of salt, place chicken on a rack in a heavy based roasting tray. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Preheat fan forced oven to 220C/430F.
- Turn down the oven to 180C/350F, then roast chicken for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the internal temperature at the joint between the leg and thigh is 75C/165F, or until juices run clear.
- Check at 45 minutes, rotate the pan if not browning evenly, and brush top with remaining melted butter.
- Remove chicken from the roasting tray, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Chicken is so juicy, it needs little more than a tiny drizzle of the juices in the pan (go easy, it's salty). Otherwise, make a gravy while the chicken is resting


Servings: 6
Category: Meals
Link: https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-brine-recipe/
Tags: Meat