Week 1, Recipe 2: Brined Chicken, Creamed Spinach, Crispy Potatoes

I brined a chicken for the first time and also made creamed spinach for the first time.  Here are the recipes and results.

Brined Chicken

• 1/2 Kosher Sea Salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 gallon cold water
• 1 4-5 lb. whole chicken

• 3 tsp. oregano
• 2 sprigs of rosemary (optional)
  
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. garlic puree
• Juice from one lemon
• Pepper
  

In a bowl large enough to submerge chicken, mix salt, sugar & water until ingredients dissolve.  Add chicken to brine and refridgerate 6-24 hours.  Drain & pat dry, discard brine.  Preheat overn to 375.  Combine oregano, garlic & EVOO.  Loosen chicken skin & spread garlic mixture between skin & meat.  Place sprigs of rosemary inside chicken cavity.  Squeeze half of lemon over chicken.  Cook 40 minutes, turn chicken & baste with juices.  Squeeze remaining lemon, season w/pepper and cook an additional 40 minutes until done.  Let rest 10 minutes prior to carving.

Result: I got this recipe from the Alessi Sea Salt box.  I'd wanted to brine a chicken and was really excited!  I only had quarters so I used that instead of a whole chicken.  I probably should've cut back on the amount of salt I used.  It wasn't sweet at all if that was your concern but it was unreasonably TENDER!!  WOW!!  So moist and juicy and fell right off the bone!  I brined it for about 20 hours and it was amazing!  I also accidentally put the dried rosemary & dried oregano in the brine but scooped most of it out and that worked well anyway.  Very lightly flavored with rosemary & oregano.

Creamed Spinach By Ellie Krieger in Food Network Magazine (Nov. 2009)

• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 small shallots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups 1 percent milk
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fat free evaporated milk
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Squeeze all of the water from the spinach. In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the milk and broth and cook, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk and nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Result: I was out of shallots so I subbed garlic.  I also didn't want to open a can of evaporated milk for 2 tbsp. so I used heavy cream I already had in my house.  I halved this recipe since there were just two of us eating it.  I still probably used a little too much nutmeg.  It wasn't bad but a little more there than it should've been.  It tasted like Thanksgiving, though!

Crispy Potatoes

• red potatoes
• salt
• pepper
• oregano
• EVOO

Combine all ingredients, roast for 35 minutes at 375 degrees or until crispy and cooked through.

Result: This is my "recipe," not a new one.  I use it regularly in varying versions.  I used oregano because it's in the chicken.

I would use all of these recipes again!!