Citrus Brined Chicken Drumsticks with Gin
Juicy chicken drumsticks brined with lemon, lime, thyme, juniper, and gin, then browned, gently cooked, and grilled.
Ingredients
For the Brine
- 6 cups water
- ¾ cup salt
- ½ cup gin
- 2 lemons juice
- 1 lime juice
- ½ oz. fresh thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
For the Chicken
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 1 tablespoon butter
- water enough for stewing the chicken
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Warm the water in a saucepan. Stir in the salt until dissolved.6 cups water, ¾ cup salt
- Let the salted water cool to room temperature.
- Stir in the gin, lemon juice and lime juice.½ cup gin, 2 lemons, 1 lime
- Add the thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and juniper berries.½ oz. fresh thyme, 4 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- Add the drumsticks to the brine. Make sure they are covered. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.8 chicken drumsticks
- Remove the drumsticks from the brine and pat them dry.
- Melt butter in a pan. Brown the drumsticks on all sides.1 tablespoon butter
- Add water to a height of approximately 1 inch (2 cm). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and put the lid on the pan.water
- Cook gently for 30 minutes. Remove the drumsticks from the pan.
- Finish them in a very hot grill pan or on the BBQ until nicely grilled.
NOTES
1. Why does the brine need to cool first? So the chicken stays cold before cooking. Do not put raw chicken into warm brine.
2. Why grill them only at the end? That keeps the chicken juicy inside and gives the outside a better finish.
3. Can I make these without an outdoor grill? Yes. A very hot grill pan works well.
4. Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: until hot all the way through. For more texture on the outside, finish briefly in a hot grill pan after reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 21726mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 351IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
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