Buttermilk Chicken

It's been a while. My semester was ending, and I had assignments to complete, and somehow, posting recipes here didn't seem like a good use of my limited time.

However, we have been eating. My sister came to visit, and I managed to pull off some pretty tasty meals in between the pasta and tacos The Big Geek prepared while I was busy studying. This chicken recipe, for example.

I don't make it that often, because it requires such advanced planning and the purchase of buttermilk (you really do need actual buttermilk), which I don't usually keep on hand. However, every time I make it I wonder why we don't have it more often. Seriously, it is the best chicken EVER. You should make it tonight. Or tomorrow. Or even better, in two days, so it has a good long time to sit in the brine.

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken
from Sunset

1 quart Buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 Tbsp chopped garlic (or minced, whatever)
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp pepper
6 chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks
(or whatever bone-in chicken you like. You can leave the skin on or take it off--it's good either way.)

1. In a large bowl, mix buttermilk, shallots, garlic, salt, sugar, cumin, and pepper.

2. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Submerge chicken pieces in buttermilk brine. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, up to 1 day (I did 2 days because things changed, and it was REALLY good).

3. Lift chicken from brine, discard brine.

4. Lay chicken pieces on a barbecue grill over medium coals or medium heat on a gass grill (you can hold you rhand at grill level only 4-5 seconds); Close lid on gas grill. Cook, turnin frequently, until browned on both sides and no longer pink at the bone (cut to test, 20-30 minutes).

Serve hot or cold.

This is probably my favorite grilled chicken recipe. Make it!

I served it with salad and grilled veggies (cut up some squash, red bell pepper, onion, whatever you have, place it on a metal baking pan sprayed with cooking spray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and whatever spices you want, cook at 400 for about 15 minutes). YUM!