Brined chicken is tender, juicy chicken and it's a lot less trouble than you might think. Have a play, adding different flavours to the salt/sugar/water solution. Use a soft drink or cider instead of beer. Use leftover barbecued to chicken to make a chicken, blueberry and blue cheese pasta salad for dinner another night. This recipe forms part of the January 14 meal planner created in partnership with New World.
Ingredients
| ¼ cup | Salt |
| ¼ cup | Caster sugar |
| 1 | Lemon |
| 3 cloves | Garlic, sliced |
| ½ tsp | Chilli flakes |
| 2 | Bay leaves |
| 2 bottles | Summer Ale, (660ml) (Main) |
| 6 | Bone-in chicken thighs, and or chicken legs (Main) |
| 2 Tbsp | Oil, approx, for cooking |
| 1 | Watermelon, to serve (Main) |
| 1 packet | Pams Fresh Express coleslaw, to serve |
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Directions
- In a large non-reactive dish dissolve salt and sugar in 1 cup water. Cut the lemon in to quarters and squeeze in to the mix along with garlic, chilli flakes, bay leaves and a good grind of black pepper. Pour in the Summer Ale.
- Immerse the chicken pieces and leave to brine for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
- Drizzle with oil and grill on the barbecue for 10-15 minutes each side until cooked through.
- Cut watermelon in to small triangles and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil. Grill for 1-2 minutes each side until just starting to soften.
- Serve chicken (saving a few pieces for tomorrow's salad) and watermelon with coleslaw.
