While most brines call for salting, using a sugar combination creates better balance to ensure the end result is not too salty. Salt alters the texture & tenderness; therefore swelling the muscle or meat so that it can absorb more flavor while maintaining moisture.
To keep it simple, I used basic ingredients that one would typically enjoy with chicken. Using a large enough stockpot, add ~ 4 cups of water (less than usual - as I added ice in the end) & turn the burner on high.
Add 1/2 cup sugar & 1/2 cup brown sugar to the water.
Next, smash whole garlic cloves and add to water; discarding the peel.
Add (1) cup of kosher salt (it has less sodium than table salt) & a little molasses if you have it.
Using a mortar & pestle, crack/crush ~ 5 juniper berries & 2 Tablespoons of black peppercorns.
Lastly, add a few bay leaves (~ 3-5) and a few springs of fresh rosemary and stir. Bring to a boil - then turn off.
As mentioned previously, I then added ice & with a little help from Mother Nature, brought the temperature of the brine to room temperature quite quickly so that I could immerse the chicken in its briny bath:-)
Allow chicken to brine for 3-4 1/2 hours. Thoroughly rinse & pat (or air) dry prior to roasting. Bon Appetit!
Ciao,
Maryanne
The Gluten-Free Italian