Many of you probably remember me talking about Nellie’s Deli here in town and how wonderful her food always was. The day she retired was a sad day here. Fortunately, for me we’re friends and who I crave her food I just make it from one of her recipe books I bought at her clearance sale or text her for tips. As I was reading through Nellie’s recipe I realized it was almost identical to grams old recipe.
NELLIE’S ROAST CHICKEN aka GRAM’S TRASH DAY ROAST CHICKEN
1 LARGE stewing, roasting chicken
1/2 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons QUALITY Italian seasoning (see note)
STOCK/BRINE
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup Himalayan pink salt
1/2 cup tricolor peppercorns
Veggie scraps – carrot pieces, celery pieces, quartered onions, 1 bunch chopped parsley, 1 bunch chopped cilantro, 6-8 cloves smashed garlic as well as anything else in the veggie drawer that’s beyond it’s crispness and ready for the compost.
- Combine everything in a LARGE stock pot.
- Bring stock to a SLOW simmer for 3-4 hours or more.
- Let cool for 1 hour.
- Add 2 1/2 gallons of stock to 5 gallon bucket.
- Submerge chicken. If stock is extremely warm, use ice to shock chciken.
- Refrigerate and brine for 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- When ready to roast, drain chicken and pat dry.
- Pour butter over chicken and rub into all the crevices.
- Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning.
- Roast 1 3/4 hours until cooked through.
NOTE: You can use Garden Gourmet Italian herbs. When using, whisk into the melted butter before rubbing the chicken.
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Just a few simple ingredients and you have a simple weeknight meal that tastes so good that I guarantee your family will be begging for this dish all the time because it is so full of flavor! The brown sugar adds a hint of sweetness, but is also one of the key ingredients to the caramelization that makes this chicken so delectably sweet AND savory. The brining before hand and the baking at high temperature adds a tenderness that also helps keep it super juicy.
BRINED GARLIC BROWN SUGAR CHICKEN
BRINE
1/4 cup kosher salt
4 cups warm water
- Combine the salt and warm water in a shallow baking dish and stir it gently until the salt is dissolved.
- Add the chicken breasts and let them sit in the mixture to brine for 15 minutes. You can brine for longer, but no longer than 2 hours as the chicken will turn mushy.
SUGAR RUB
4 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
4 tablespoons brown sugar
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
4 medium sized chicken breasts, pounded to an even 3/4 -1 inch thickness
1 tablespoon butter, melted
- Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with some paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large baking dish.
- Brush both sides evenly with the melted butter.
- Combine brown sugar, minced garlic, salt and pepper into a well combined rub.
- Rub each chicken breast.
- Bake for 18 -20 minutes, or until surface is golden and internal temperature is 165°.
- Serve warm, garnished with parsley, if desired.
NOTE: Substituting boneless pork chops for the chicken is a tasty alternative.