Buttermilk Brined Chicken With Cress And Bread Salad Recipes

BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROTISSERIE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine: Heat 1 cup water, 1/4 cup salt, the brown sugar, garlic, coriander seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the salt dissolves. Let cool completely.
• Put the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in the brine and buttermilk; seal the bag. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.
• About 30 minutes before grilling, remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Let sit at room temperature.
• Prepare a grill with a rotisserie attachment according to the manufacturer's instructions. Preheat the grill to medium and prepare for indirect cooking: On a gas grill, turn off the center burner(s); on a charcoal grill, bank the coals to the sides.
• Combine the butter, vinegar, ground coriander, garlic powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the butter is melted. Set aside.
• Truss the chicken with kitchen twine: Tie the legs together and tie the wings close to the body so the chicken is a round shape. Once the grill registers 325˚ F to 350˚ F, slide the chicken onto the rotisserie spit. Insert the prongs on the rod into the chicken so it's snug; secure with the thumbscrews. (If the twine loosens, tie again.) Place the rod onto the rotisserie with a drip pan underneath; turn the rotisserie on.
• Cover the grill and cook, basting the chicken with the butter mixture every 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165˚ and the skin is browned and crisp, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (If using a charcoal grill, add coals as needed to maintain a temperature of 325˚ F to 350˚ F.)
• Turn off the rotisserie. For a gas grill, turn off the grill and let the chicken rest on the rod for 10 minutes before carving. For charcoal, lay the chicken, on the rod, on a foil-lined baking sheet and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED CHICKEN WITH CRESS AND BREAD SALAD

Steps:

• Thinly slice 1 lemon. Whisk buttermilk, garlic, and 2 tablespoons salt in a medium bowl. Divide buttermilk mixture and lemon slices between 2 large resealable plastic bags. Place 1 chicken in each bag and seal, pressing out any excess air. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove chickens from marinade, rinse with cold water, and pat dry. Thinly slice half of a lemon; cut remaining whole lemon in half. Place chickens on a wire rack set inside a large rimmed baking sheet; stuff each with 1/2 bunch of marjoram and a lemon half. Working from neck end of chicken, gently loosen skin from chicken breasts. Place several lemon slices under skin of each breast. Rub chickens with butter; season with salt and pepper. Tie legs with kitchen twine and tuck wing tips under chicken.
• Roast chickens until they begin to brown, 30-35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and roast until chickens are cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F, 20-25 minutes longer. Transfer chickens to a platter, tent with foil, and let rest while preparing bread salad. Keep oven on.
• Carefully pour chicken roasting juices from baking sheet into a large bowl (set baking sheet aside). Whisk shallot, oil, and vinegar into juices in bowl; season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
• Pour half of vinaigrette into a small bowl; set aside. Add bread to vinaigrette in large bowl and toss, pressing gently to help bread absorb vinaigrette.
• Transfer bread to reserved baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until bread is golden brown but still soft in the center, 10-15 minutes (set bowl aside).
• Place warm bread in reserved bowl. Add watercress and reserved vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Arrange salad on a platter and place chickens on top.

BREADED CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH BUTTERMILK RANCH SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk 2/3 cup of the buttermilk, the sour cream, dill, chives, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half through the middle so that it looks like you are opening up a book, making 4 roughly equal pieces (they should look like thinner chicken breasts). Place a chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, drizzle with some canola oil to keep the plastic wrap from sticking, and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with the other 3 chicken breasts. Sprinkle each breast with salt and pepper.
• Set up a standard breading station: Mix the flour, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in a shallow dish or pie plate. Beat the eggs with the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of pepper in a second shallow dish or pie plate. Mix the panko, remaining 2 teaspoons garlic powder, remaining 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper in a third shallow dish or pie plate.
• Dredge one piece of chicken in the flour mixture, turning to coat evenly. Shake off any excess then dip into the egg mixture, turning to fully coat both sides. Let the excess egg drip off, then press firmly into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat on both sides and packing the crumbs into any crevices. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces.
• Line a clean baking sheet with paper towels or a rack. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 pieces of chicken and cook until the breading is golden brown and crisp and the chicken is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the baking sheet lined with paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle with salt while the chicken is still hot. Wipe the skillet clean if necessary and repeat with more oil and chicken.
• Toss the romaine with the buttermilk ranch, Parmesan and a large pinch of salt. Serve the chicken alongside the salad, sprinkle with more Parmesan if desired.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. (If the chicken won't fit in a gallon-size bag, double up 2 plastic produce bags to prevent leaks and tie the bag with twine.)
• Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you're so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that's not essential.
• Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees with a rack set in the center position.
• Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs with a piece of butcher's twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a shallow roasting pan.
• Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven. (The back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done.) Pretty quickly you should hear the chicken sizzling.
• After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for 10 minutes.
• Move the pan so the legs are facing the rear right corner of the oven. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh. If the skin is getting too brown before it is cooked through, use a foil tent. Remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.