Garlic

Article: Basic Poultry Brine

I've adapted Heston Blumenthol and Thomas Kellers approach to poultry brining.  It's simple basic brine that will make you bird ultra tasty and moist. The aromatics used are completely up to you. Experiment with chili, lemon grass, star anise and coriander seeds for an Asian style brine. 15g of table salt per kg of Bird3 tablespoons honey5 bay leaves1 head of garlic, smashed but not peeled1 tablespoons black peppercorns2 star anise3 large rosemary sprigs1 small bunch of thyme1 small bunch of parsley2 lemons halved Weigh the bird and calculate the about of salt you will need.  In a sauce pot, combine 3 pints of water and the salt, the honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, star anise, parsley and lemons zest. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let c...

Article: Ad Hoc Crispy Braised Chicken

Everything I cook from Thomas Keller's latest book Ad Hoc at Home is scrumdelicious!  I've now cooked about 15 of the 200 some recipes so that's pretty good odds so far.  In fact i would love to challenge anyone who can't complete any of these recipes. All of the recipes in Ad Hoc are attainable for even the most novice of home chefs.  The Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs is no exception.  Its a super simple autumn dish that will please anyone that tastes it. The flavours smack of summer, which is a great mood lifter when the weather is less than summer-like.  What is there not to like? Crispy skinned chicken on a bed of soft braised fennel,...