3 Techniques for Chicken

I’ve found three techniques—brining, casserole roasting and skillet sautèing—that make very tender and moist chickens.

Brining

Soaking chicken in salt water gives you a juicier bird. This is why kosher chickens, which are brined before you buy them, often taste better than other chickens. Dissolve 1/4 cup of kosher salt in 1 quart of water and brine your chicken in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to a day before cooking.

Casserole Roasting

A heavy, tightly lidded casserole traps moisture that’s released from the roasting bird, so the juices baste the bird while it cooks. And the moist heat inside the casserole cooks the chicken without drying it out the way a hot oven does.

Skillet SautÉing

Chicken pieces cooked without crowding in a skillet will render their own fat, forming a crusty surface that traps the juices inside.

Published February 1997