Brine recipe

[Welsh Wizard]

Hi All

Please can someone post a brine recipe for curing chicken breasts. I have read through the posts and although brine is mentioned I cannot find a recipe.

I note comments about wrapping the chicken breasts to improve the flavour but what do I do with the breast before I introduce it to my Bradley?

Thanks WW

[Habanero Smoker]

Have you checked out the Brine recipes on the Recipe Site. There are quite a few for chicken and turkey.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

[Habanero Smoker]

WW;

If you are looking for an Asian type of brine, here is a modified brine/marinade I just used for some chicken thighs. They came out pretty good. Excuse any typos, I just got finished typing it up.

Asian Style Chicken Brine/Marinade

16 oz. Apple juice
12 oz. Beer, flat (good quality)
1/4 C. Morton's Kosher Salt (2 ounces)
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Chinese soy sauce; or other type of soy sauce
1/4 C. Sherry vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped

6 lbs. chicken thighs.

Directions
Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in a nonreactive container. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. In the mean time, remove any extra fat from the chicken thighs, and rinse well. (Optional, I like to soak the chicken in a mixture of lemon juice and water for about 10 minutes. It seems to make the chicken taste fresher.) Pat dry and place thighs in a nonreactive bowl or plastic bag. Pour marinade over thighs, refrigerate and marinate for 4-6 hours.

Remove thighs from marinade, and lightly rinse. Place uncovered in the refrigerator, and let air dry for 2-4 hours, prior to cooking/smoking

*You may be able to substitute lemon juice for the sherry vinegar. If you soak the chicken, I usually squeeze the juice of 1/2 in a bowl with water enough just to cover the chicken, but more lemon juice wouldn't hurt.

**I was also thinking of adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of 5 Star Spice to this recipe.

[Welsh Wizard]

Thanks HS very informative - I will give it a go........

Cheers WW

[LilSmoker]

Hi WW, the brine recipe Habs has given you will be very good, and tasty too.

Here's another option also:

Sometimes with poultry, i use a simple brine, after measuring your required ammount of water, just add salt (de-iodised) until ann egg will float, then add some demarera sugar to your taste. Some like a 50/50 mix, but it's a personal taste thing.
I usually use warm water, as the salt and sugar will dissolve much quicker, but make sure the brine is properly cooled before use.

LilSmoker

[Welsh Wizard]

Thanks LS I am being educated at a fast rate so thanks again to all who have helped.

Smoked some haddock day before yesterday, absoutly 1st class..............

Cheers WW

[manxman]

Smoked some haddock day before yesterday, absoutly 1st class..............

?hot smoked or cold smoked.  :)

[Welsh Wizard]

Sorry for the silence - we have had some serious flooding here and I dont think the memsab would see the funny side if I sat in front of the computer whilst baby floated past the window - all OK now and thank god the Bradley didnt get a soaking.

Smoked Haddock was cold smoked for 3 hours after putting them in a soloution of water and salt for 2.5 hours. I just did them along with my salmon.........

Hi LilS - how long do you leave the chicken in the brine for?

Cheers WW

[brewer]

When I started smoking stuff years ago, I also used the floating hard cooked egg thingy. Egg would float was about the only positive about the brine. Much toooo salty for my tastes.

Then I came across The Sausage Maker, bought his book and nuttin' but raves about the finished product whether it is turkey, chicken, fish.

Rytek Kutas was the author of the book 'Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing'. His recipes call for canning & pickling salt, dextrose and cure or salt peter. The site  is:

http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=26

No connection to The Sausage Maker yada yada yada.