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late night coffee brined chicken

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Chicken

Late Night Coffee Brined Chicken

Early in the week, I knew I wanted to combine coffee and orange. Yesterday, after sitting in my fridge defrosting for a day and a half, my whole chicken whispered to me "it's now or never." Since it was Wednesday, I did not have time for an overnight brine,

Ingredients

  • 1 4 -5 lb whole organic chicken
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups 1% milk
  • For the Coffee brine
  • 1/2 liter hot, freshly brewed bold coffee
  • 3 ounces kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorn
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 2 juicy navel oranges, halved
  • 15 ounces ice

Directions

  • ombine salt, peppercorns, star anise, and cloves in a small pot. Lightly crush spices with the back of a large spoon. Squeeze orange halves over mixture, and then add halves. Pour hot coffee over mixture, stir and cover pot with lid. Allow brine to steep for ten minutes.
  • Meanwhile, pat chicken dry, removing giblets and neck. Place chicken in a 2 gallon sized zip lock or other plastic bag.
  • Place the ice in a large bowl. Add coffee brine and stir until ice melts. Pour brine in bag with chicken (including oranges), seal and allow mixture to sit at room temperature for two to three hours. Then pat chicken dry and let it dry out for an hour in a bowl placed in the refrigerator.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Remove chicken from refrigerator, pat dry and rub both sides with brown sugar.
  • Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown chicken on both sides. Add milk, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook for an hour with the lid. Remove lid. Continue to cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees.
  • Pull meat off the bones and serve with wilted greens and rice. Be sure to spoon some of the sauce over the meat, if desired.

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