Brine for chicken

I use this brine when making my Chicken Saporito.

Brine

For 4 chicken breasts (4 halves)
Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 3 to 6 hours brining
Prepare up to 4 days in advance

¼ cup (60 milliliters) sugar
¼ cup (60 milliliters) kosher coarse salt
2 cups (480 milliliters) water
8 sage leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
10 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and split lengthwise in half
½ lemon, thinly sliced with peel
12 ice cubes

  1. Place all ingredients, other than ice cubes, in a saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.

  2. Let liquid cool for 20 minutes. Add ice cubes and stir. Once at room temperature, brine can be used immediately or refrigerated for up to 4 days in a nonreactive, covered container.

  3. Place chicken in a nonreactive container and cover with room temperature or chilled brine. Refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.

Sally Uhlmann’s passion for cooking led her to publish a memoir-style cookbook, “Just Cook with Sally.” She splits her time between the States and her farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, when she is not traveling the world. Sally cooks, develops recipes, and writes stories—mostly about the intersection of food, travel, and her life.