Dry Brining - It Works!

Yes, I am trying to stick to veggies and fish as much as possible but they had plump, fresh, organic chickens at the farmstand and I couldn't resist. I decided to try a technique I read about recently called dry brining. Wet brining has become all the rage lately - especially when talking turkey around Thanksgiving - but I find it to be a bit of a pain. For one thing, finding a vessel to hold the brine (usually a mix of kosher salt, sugar, and some aromatics) plus said piece of poultry that actually fits in the fridge when there is other stuff in there is a challenge. I've tried those brining bags, but they scare me - the last thing I want is salty, salmonella infested water leaking all over my refrigerator. Dry brining is easier, less messy, and doesn't take up as much space. To dry brine, you simply wash and dry the chicken, rub it down with a ton of kosher salt, then stick it back in the fridge wrapped in plastic for 24 hours. To prepare the chicken, wash and dry the chicken again then prepare as you'd like. I melted butter with minced garlic and tarragon and rubbed it up under the skin, over the breast meat. I used the remaining butter/herb/garlic mixture to brush over the skin, stuffed the cavity with chopped garlic, herb sprigs and season the whole chicken (inside and out) with kosher salt and pepper.

Zuni Cafe in San Francisco is famous for their brick oven roasted chicken and the chef, Judy Rodgers, uses this technique to produce a juicy, tasty chicken.