Brined Crispy Juicy Chicken
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Brine Time: 4-8 hours
Cook Time: 1-1 1/2 hours
Serves: 4
Cost: approx. $6.00
Brining the chicken makes it juicy. There are several ways to brine, and I do it the easiest way: with cold water and salt.
The skin of the chicken blackens as the syrup/butter mixture cooks, giving it a sweet glaze.
I bought the chicken when it was on sale for 99 cents a pound! (A deep-freeze is one of the best investments a family can make, in my opinion.) Serve this with the roasted vegetables and you have a complete meal for 4 for around $9.00. This dish makes for a great Sunday family meal or an impressive (but easy) dinner to cook when company’s coming-especially because most of the work is in the preparation.
Ingredients:
- One 4-5 pound whole chicken
- 1/2 cup light Karo syrup
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup salt
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to brine the chicken
Wash and pat dry the chicken. Put the chicken in a gallon size zip-lock bag. Pour 1 cup salt in the bag and fill with cold water. Place in refrigerator and let sit for 4-8 hours. (Sometimes the bag leaks so I always place the bag in a bowl-you can also put the chicken, salt and water straight in a bowl and weigh the chicken down with a plate).
Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Rinse the salt off the chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in roasting pan. Melt the butter, add the Karo syrup to the butter and mix. Brush about 1/4 of the butter/syrup mixture over the chicken, add a pinch of salt and sprinkle with pepper. Roast, uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the temperature reaches about 165 degrees, brushing every 20 minutes with the remaining butter/syrup mixture. The skin of the chicken will turn black-you want it to so don’t cover. Let rest before carving.
Honey Horseradish Potatoes
Prep Time : 5 minutes
Cook Time : 20-25 minutes
Serves : 4-6
Cost : Approx $4.25
I got this recipe from Executive Chef Scott Savage from The Cliff House. He uses red potatoes but because they were not on sale when we filmed the cooking video (and I needed to get everything in at $10.00), I used Yukon Gold instead….so excuse me Chef! It will change-up the taste a bit but the end result was great! You can make the mashed potatoes as sweet or hot as you like by varying the amounts of honey and horseradish. You can mash the potatoes with beaters or in a food processor.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds red potatoes (or Yukon Gold)….or try another type if you want
- 1/4 pound butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup heavy cream (this is the most expensive item in the recipe-I buy heavy cream at Wal-Mart)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup horseradish
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Boil the potatoes (leave the skin on) and strain. Heat the butter and cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Put the potatoes in a bowl (or food processor), add the heated butter and cream mixture. Whip together with the honey and horseradish. Season with salt and pepper.
Green Beans with Shallots
Prep Time : 5 minutes
Cook Time : 15 minutes
Serves : 4-6
Cost : Approx $2.50
I got the cost down because the green beans were on sale. I usually only cook these when the beans are on sale for 99 cents to $1.99 a pound. You’ll want to have a large bowl of ice water ready to immerse the beans in after they have blanched.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans, ends removed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large shallots
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Blanch the green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 3 minutes or untill they’re crisp-tender. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saute pan. Saute the shallots on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned. Drain the green beans and add to the shallots. Add salt and pepper to taste, tossing well. Heat only until the beans are hot.
Always nice to have a new way to cook a whole chicken, thank you!