To Brine Or Not To Brine

Don’t you just Love Sunny Anderson?

Her name and her disposition are inseparable, she has to be the most upbeat person ever in a kitchen. Sometimes her recipes can get a little lengthy but they are always worth a little extra effort and this recipe is no different. She is making 3 whole, deboned chickens. She is brining them.

I thought this would be a good time for those of you who aren’t sure about brining to test it out. Brine one or two, then don’t brine the other(s). In our family, I love the brine, my wife, not so much. So, this is the kind of recipe that works for our family. We can invite whomever we want and segregate the dishes according to their wishes.

With no further ado, here is what she is doing;

Sunny Anderson shows TODAY how to make a savory and spicy barbecue chicken and it’s side-kick, apple-raisin cole slaw.

Sunny’s Spicy White BBQ Butterflied Chicken

Ingredients

• For the 1-2-3 brine
  • 1 pint water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons salt
• For the Chicken
  • 3 whole chickens, skinned and butterflied
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt
• For the sauce
  • 1 Vidalia or sweet onion, cut into thick slices and charred on the grill with no oil
  • 1 red jalapeño, split lengthwise and charred on the grill with no oil (seeds or no seeds, you choose!)
  • 3 cups mayonnaise
  • ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons grained Dijon mustard
  • 10-12 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and gently chopped
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, loosely packed
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cracked coarse black pepper
  • Kosher salt

Preparation

1. Brine the chicken.

In a large bowl make two or three portions of the brine (this depends on how you intend to brine the chicken, in a bag, bowl or pot). Add the water, sugar, and salt and whisk until everything dissolves. Add the chicken to a large turkey brining bag, sealable plastic bag, or pot. Pour the brine over the chicken enough to cover, then seal and refrigerate 8 hours – overnight. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Leave the chicken on the counter for up to 2 hours so it comes to room temperature.

2. Grill the chicken.

Preheat the grill to 400° F or medium high. Lightly brush oil on both sides of the chicken and season all around with a nice pinch of salt. Place over the direct heat of the grill, skin side down and grill until it releases from the grates easily. Then flip it and move it to the indirect heat side of the grill and allow to cook until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes total.

3. Make the sauce.

Finely chop the onions and jalapeno. In a large bowl add the chopped onions and jalapeno, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, mustard, thyme, parsley, white and black pepper. Stir and taste to season with a pinch salt, if needed. Reserve ½ cup of sauce to the side.

4. Dunk and cut the chicken.

Straight from the grill, place the chickens in the bowl of sauce and dunk and flip a bit to coat. Remove to a baking sheet and rest 10 minutes. Then dunk the chicken in the sauce again. Cut and serve with reserved sauce.

Sunny Anderson’s apple-raisin cole slaw

Ingredients

• • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 head savoy cabbage, shredded or sliced thin
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded (about 4 small, 2 medium carrots)
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and shredded
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Mix, chill, and serve. In a large bowl stir together the raisins, celery seeds, mayonnaise, sour cream and apple cider vinegar.

Add the cabbage, carrots and apples, then toss to combine. Taste and season with a pinch of salt and a grind or two of pepper.

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.