The Best Grilled Chicken. Ever.

At Thanksgiving time, I usually brine my turkey, yielding a succulent, flavorful, and juicy bird.  Saving the brining technique for special occasions, I haven't used the technique for everyday cooking...till recently.  A couple of weeks ago, Sophia and I decided to brine a chicken before grilling it. It was also still partially frozen, and I wanted to expedite the thawing process. We used lemon, garlic, rosemary, salt and sugar. Today, I used fresh basil and oregano instead of the rosemary. It comes out so delicious! Following is my recipe for the most delicious way to prepare chicken. I *urge* you to give it a try. With the suggested sides, it makes the perfect summer meal. Enjoy!

You will need -

1-2 whole chickens, cut up.

1 lemon, cut in half, juice, peel and all

1/2 head garlic, sliced in half, skins and all

Fresh herbs - as much or as little as you want. I went with basil and oregano or rosemary. You can do any combo.

Slight 1/3 c salt

Heaping 1/3 c sugar

Water to cover

In a large bowl, pour salt and sugar into 2 c water, stir to dissolve. Add chicken, lemon, herbs, and garlic, then add water till it's all submerged. Stir around to distribute everything evenly. Let sit for 2-3 hours. I let it sit on the counter top, but you can stick it in the fridge if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Get your grill going. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. Rub with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a bit of garlic powder (opt) or seasoning of choice. I like to start with some foil on the grill with the chicken skin side up. Grill for 15-20 minutes, then remove foil and flip chicken. This helps the skin develop a delicious crust without sticking.

Grill 15-20 minutes more, till chicken is done.

Meanwhile, prepare some brown rice. I like to use this recipe:

Boil 4-6 c water with a bit of salt.

Rinse 1 c brown rice, then add to boiling water.

Reduce heat to med-high and boil for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Drain for 10 seconds then return to pan, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

I took the rest of the basil that I had and stuck it in the food processor with 2 cloves garlic and 2 T olive oil and the zest of one lemon. Then I stirred this into the brown rice when it was finished.

Lightly coat some fresh veggies with olive oil and salt and pepper and throw n the grill for the 2nd half of cooking time. I used yellow squash.

All three components of this meal went really well together. Sophia made some fresh squeezed lemonade to go with it.

Give it a try and enjoy! Play around with it and try different combos of herbs and spices. Just stick with the basic water, salt,and sugar brine.