Thomas Keller’s Chicken Brine

This is Chef Thomas Keller’s basic brine recipe for use with his buttermilk fried chicken that appears in the new summer issue of spenser. According to Chef Keller, “the key ingredient here is the lemon, which goes wonderfully with chicken, as do the herbs: bay leaf, parsley, and thyme.” This amount of brine will be enough for 10 lbs. of chicken.

5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaves
5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaves
1 bunch (4 oz.) flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch (1 oz.) thyme
½ cup clover honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
¼ cup black peppercorns
2 cups (10 oz.) kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal
2 gallons water

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to three days.

Recipe published with permission from “Ad Hoc at Home” by Thomas Keller (Artisan Books, 2009). Buy your own copy here.