BRINES

Pickle Juice 

A very simple and very tasty way to brine your chicken is Pickle Juice.

Personally, this is my favourite! Or if you prefer some extra kick to your fried chicken you can try Jalapeno Juice.

Simply put your chicken pieces into a bowl and fully submerge them in either Pickle Juice or Jalapeno Juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight for up to 24 hours.

You can try this simple recipe for the pickle juice brine:

• 1⅓ cups of white vinegar

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons of kosher salt

• 1 cup of water

• 1-2 sprigs of dill

Stir together 1 cup water and all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and place your sliced cucumbers or Jalapeno’s in a jar and pour the liquid into the jar, installing the lid tightly. Put into the fridge and leave overnight. The flavours of the brine will continue to develop the longer you leave in the jar.

You can then use this juice for a brine and use the beautiful pickled vegetable for a side dish or accompaniment to any fried chicken dish.

If using the pickling liquid as a brine, simply drain the liquid into a bowl and submerge the chicken pieces for 6-12 hours.

Buttermilk 

Buttermilk is a very popular brine for chicken, we often hear of buttermilk chicken. The name of buttermilk just evokes the most amazing thick rich flavour. You can mix some herbs in with the buttermilk for an extra kick of flavour.

You can try this simple recipe for the buttermilk brine:

• 2 cups of Buttermilk

• 1 Teaspoon paprika

• 1 Teaspoon salt

• 1 Teaspoon black pepper

• ¼ Teaspoon dried oregano

• ¼ Teaspoon white pepper

• ¼ Teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix that all together in a bowl and add your chicken pieces. This will be enough for a whole chicken broken down into 8 pieces. Once removed from Buttermilk you then simply coat the chicken as normal, place on a wire rack for 10 minutes while your fryer comes up to temperature so that the coating binds well to your chicken.