Ingredients
The following ingredients have 4 Servings
- 2 cups water
- ⅓ cup kosher salt ((reduce to ¼ cup if using table salt))
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning *
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lemon ((cut in wedges))
- 1½ litres ice water ((divided))
- 4 lb whole chicken ((giblets removed))
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup water
Instruction
- Find a very large pot -- you'll need room for 2 litres of water and a whole chicken.
- Bring 2 cups water, salt and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling, whisking until salt and sugar are dissolved.
- Add Italian seasoning, peppercorns, garlic cloves, bay leaves and lemon and cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in ice water.
- When brine is cool to room temperature or colder (you can add more ice if necessary or refrigerate until ready -- make sure it is not at all warm), add the chicken, breast side down. It might float slightly, but as long as the breast is down it's okay.
- Cover and refrigerate for 18-24 hours. Drain and pat dry.
- Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and tie the legs together. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper (don't overdo it! It is already seasoned)
- Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1-2 hours to dry slightly -- OPTIONAL but this will give you the crispiest skin.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush chicken with melted butter and pour water into pan under the rack.
- Roast chicken for 1 hour, checking at 45 minutes to see if it is darkening too quickly. If the skin is getting dark, cover loosely with foil and continue cooking.
- Check the internal temperature (it should be 165 degrees F in the thickest part) and if it is done, remove from the oven, cover loosely and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing. If it is not cooked through, continue cooking 10-20 minutes.
