Texoma Living Well Magazine May/June 2018 | Page 46

Sweet Tea Brined Roasted Chicken L e Creuset recently reintroduced a cast iron skillet originally designed by Raymond Loewy in 1958. This recipe takes advantage of the Loewy skillet in this new recipe, adapted from Southern Living magazine. Le Creuset’s products are not only so well manufactured and totally consistent and reliable in the kitchen, they are like a piece of art sitting on your shelf, and their signature Cast Iron Skillet in the beautiful Caribbean color continues their elegant and efficient product line. The pan is multi-functional and can be used on the stove top, but also in the oven.   Sweet Tea Brined Roasted Chicken Breast made its way on our recipe round up. Although initially this recipe takes a little prep 1958 Raymond Loewy Skillet In 1958, acclaimed industrial designer Raymond Loewy created a new and unique skillet to add to the world-renowned range of Le Creuset cast iron cookware. Interna- tionally famous for his designs for some of the most well-known consumer brands, Loewy created a striking, evocative design, which Le Creuset is re-introducing in a limited release. In addition to being a symbol of mid-century design, the Raymond Loewy skillet delivers the same reliable cooking performance as every other piece of Le Creuset cast iron, with a lifetime guarantee and the promise of outstanding results time after time. Courtesy of the Loewy Estate work, it is great for a Monday night meal.  You can make your brine on a Sunday afternoon, stick it in the fridge overnight and by dinnertime, the chicken has been perfectly brined for a delicious chicken dinner that’s bursting with flavor.  There is essentially no prep work for the chicken after it has been in the brine, so it leaves you free to prepare your sides with a few occasional flips of the chicken while roasting. This Le Creuset Loewy Cast Iron Skillet is so versatile and can easily transition from the oven to the stove. Once the brine has cooled completely, place chicken and brine in an airtight bag and refrigerate for 24 hours. The next day, discard the brine and pat chicken dry before placing in skillet to roast.  Heat pan for 10 minutes before placing chicken on it. Limited availability from Le Creuset. www.lecreuset.com Features • • • • Even heat distribution and superior heat retention. Colorful, long-lasting exterior enamel resists chipping and cracking; interior enamel is engineered to resist staining and dulling Sand-colored interior enamel makes it easy to monitor food as it cooks, preventing burning and sticking The lightest weight per quart of any premium cast iron cookware available Sweet Tea Brined Roasted Chicken Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 1 hour Adapted from Southern Living • • • • • 3 The Republic of Tea Limon Black Tea Pouches 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 sweet Vidalia onion, thinly sliced 1 lemon, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves Boil 4 cups of water in a large stockpot. Add tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes. Add salt & sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add the garlic, lemon, onion, rosemary and black pepper. Add 2 cups ice and let brine cool completely. Place chicken in large plastic bags and let sit in the brine, refrigerated for at least 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pour 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil in cast iron skillet and spread around. Place skillet in oven and let heat for about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from bags and wipe dry. Discard brine. Using a knife, gently pull skin away from breast meat. Place 46 TEXOMA AREA Living Well Magazine | MAY/JUNE 2018 • • • • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon crushed black pepper 1/4 cup salt 2 cups ice cubes 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken breast 1 lemon slice and a partial sprig of rosemary between breast and skin. Place chicken in skillet. Roast for about 1 hour, flipping over every 15 minutes. Cook until the thickest part of the chicken breast reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Remove skillet from oven and cover loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with pan juices from the skillet. Notes Prep time only includes about 20 minutes of active prep time. 24 hours of total time is for the chicken to sit in the brine. Only about 30 minutes total active time.