CITRUS BRINED CHICKEN

PREP TIME: 12 hours COOKING TIME: 60 minutes

SERVES: 4-6

Before you start, clear some room in your fridge to fit a pot that will hold the chicken and brine (about 4 litres in total).

To ensure the most tender meat possible, I recommend using a digital stick thermometer during cooking. Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the breast or the inner thigh.

It's cooked once it reaches at least 74°C.

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken, size 16

5 cups water

1 cup kosher salt or ¾ cup plain salt

(not iodised)

2 bay leaves

1 lemon, crushed

1 orange, crushed

10 peppercorns

5 star anise pods

2 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil

METHOD

1 To make the brine, add half the water to a pot with the salt and gently heat until the salt dissolves. The water doesn't need to boil.

2 Add the rest of the water, the bay leaves, lemon, orange, peppercorns, and star anise. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

3 Remove any giblets from the chicken, and rinse off excess blood. Place in a large pot, then pour the brine over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

4 Remove the chicken and rinse off the excess brine. Pat dry, then place the chicken back into the fridge for a couple of hours to allow the skin to dry out.

5 Preheat the oven to 180°C.

6 Put the chicken in a roasting dish, rub with the grapeseed or olive oil, then place into the middle of the oven.

7 Baste with the juices throughout the cooking time, around an hour or so – ideally, keep cooking until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 74°C, so you don't overdo it.

8 Remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.