Commercial Break : Brining

I have a non-secret to share with you all. BRINING.

Result: Super tender and moist chicken...Literally, "sarap to the bones"...even the white meat comes out so tasty!

What you need:

Enough brine solution to cover the chicken (1/4 cup salt to 1 liter of water)

chicken

Marinade:

1 lemon (or calamansi equivalent)

cilantro, sage or any of your favorite herb

lots of garlic (I used 1 head for 4 pieces of chicken thigh--> the more the many-er)

olive oil

Before you head out to the grocery to buy chicken, prepare the brine. Use hot water so the salt will be fully immersed in the water or else, the salt will settle into a part of a chicken or worse, the skin. It will make that part too salty. I learned that the hard way...GAWK!

Soak the chicken in the salt water overnight. Make sure the brine is cool before using it!

Prepare the marinade right after you put the chicken in the fridge. This will allow the oil to soak up the flavours of the garlic, lemon and herbs.

You can put the marinade in the fridge as well.

Right after you've had your breakfast of pancakes with eggs and bacon, prepare the chicken. Throw away the brine and make sure the chicken is dry. Put the chicken in a plastic bag or container with the marinade. Store this in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

...after 4 hours...

Because you would rather look like Nigella Lawson than Gillian McKeith, you will sneak in some butter under the skin of the chicken.

AND because you are like me, who HATE burnt garlic, you will hide the garlic pieces under the skin as well...

Use fan-forced grill at 180C, 20 minutes on each side.

Y.U.M