To Brine or Not to Brine

Notes on Roasting a Chicken

To brine or not to brine your chicken before roasting it is a continuous debate happening in the cooking world.  I have never brined but would like to try it to compare it to my other method (that I learned from Iron Chef Michael Symon- LOVE him!).  Chef Symon always claims that brining is not necessary and the only thing you should do is 24 hrs before cooking your chicken (or turkey), you should take a tbsp of salt and rub your bird down (massage it right in there) and then put it in the fridge till the next day. 

I have tried this method and it resulted in a super moist, well seasoned chicken with crispy skin.  Now I would like to try brining to see the difference.  Here is a link to the reasons and science behind brining and the recipe (also found below) to do so.

http://www.enjoy-how-to-cook.com/brining-chicken.html

Recipe for Brining:

One Large Container
Half a Liter of Water per pound of bird
1/4 cup kosher salt or 1/8 cup table salt per liter of water
1/8 cup of sugar per liter or water
Any other seasonings you would like to add to the brine (herbs, garlic, etc)

1. Mix the water, salt and sugar (optional) until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
2. Add the chicken to the brine so that it's completely submerged. If you need to, place something heavy over it to keep it from floating to the surface.
3. Soak the chicken in the brine for about an hour per pound of meat. The chicken should soak for at least an hour, but not much more than 12 hours.
   
   • If you have several smaller pieces of chicken, the weight of each piece determines how long it should soak for. So, a 2lb chicken would soak for 2 hours. 4 2lb chickens would also soak for two hours, but a 4lb chicken should soak for 4 hours.
   • Keep the chicken cold while you brine it! It should be in the fridge or in a cooler, or at the very least in a tub of cold water. You can add ice to the water to make sure it stays cold.
4. Remove the chicken from the brine. Rinse it thoroughly, then pat it dry.
5. (Optional) Let the chicken air dry in the refrigerator, uncovered, for about an hour. This will help the skin get crispy when you cook it.
   
   

Even if brining seems like a too big a of a deal, try the salting method next time you roast your chicken or turkey and see if you find a difference.