Kentucky Bourbon-Glazed Chicken

October 23, 2009 at 6:44 pm (Comfort food, Fruits, Vegetables, Plants, Meat, Poultry, Game) (chicken, homemade mustard, Kentucky Bourbon, tarragon, wild honey)

Local, pastured chicken brined overnight with garlic, peppercorns and lemon peel, then slow-roasted with homemade coarse mustard, wild honey, fresh tarragon and Kentucky bourbon..

Kentucky Bourbon-Glazed Chicken

For the Brine (adapted from a sub-recipe by Thomas Keller)

8 cups filtered water
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 oz raw honey
6 bay leaves
10 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a pot and boil for 1 minute to dissolve the salt. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Add chicken pieces to the brine and press to submerge. Refrigerate overnight.

For the Glaze

1/4 cup homemade coarse mustard
2 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons pastured butter, melted
1 1/2 oz good Kentucky bourbon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white onion, minced
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced
sea salt and freshly-ground pepper

To prepare

Drain chicken and pat dry. Lightly coat on all sides with glaze , then place in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. Turn up the heat to 375 and cook another 10-15 minutes until the skin has crisped and the juices run clear.

11 Comments

Michaela said,

October 23, 2009 at 8:48 pm

I think I just drooled a bit…. um…. a lot…..

Reply
- Ren said,
  
  October 23, 2009 at 9:14 pm
  
  Thanks, Michaela! It had some some definite lip-smackiness going on :)
  
  Reply
arulba said,

October 24, 2009 at 2:33 am

My God that looks good. Almost makes me want to give up my new-found (but tentative) vegetarianism!

Reply
- Ren said,
  
  October 24, 2009 at 2:43 pm
  
  Thanks a lot! :)
  
  Reply
Saturday Blog Surfing : Baking Delights - Baking Tips and Recipes said,

October 24, 2009 at 1:46 pm

[...] Bourbon Glazed Chicken (and I think I have some bourbon left!) [...]

Reply
elya said,

November 8, 2009 at 9:50 am

Ren, it seems like Thomas Keller uses a lot of canola oil. What’s your take on that? I always thought this was something to avoid?

Reply
- Ren said,
  
  November 8, 2009 at 11:42 am
  
  Trust your instinct! There are hundreds of otherwise fantastic cookbooks out there- just substitute grass-fed meat, pastured dairy, good fats and pesticide-free vegetables as needed.
  
  Butter or ghee, chicken, duck or goose fat, lard, beef tallow and coconut oil are all good for cooking. Olive and flax oil eaten raw are good. Corn, soy, safflower, cottonseed and canola are bad.
  
  Reply
  - elya said,
    
    November 8, 2009 at 1:30 pm
    
    Thank you, Ren! The recipes are so awesome in this book! I’m making the carrot stew as we speak!
    
    Reply
Rick said,

November 23, 2009 at 11:02 pm

Ok, How do you make home made mustard?
LOL
Thanks
Rick

Reply
- Ren said,
  
  November 24, 2009 at 1:00 am
  
  Here’s a simple recipe for lacto-fermented mustard
  
  1/4 cup organic whole yellow mustard seeds
  1/4 cup organic whole brown mustard seeds (hotter than yellow)
  1/3 cup filtered water
  2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
  1 tablespoon wildflower honey (optional)
  2 tablespoons whey
  1 teaspoon sea salt
  juice of 1 small lemon, more or less to taste
  2 cloves garlic
  
  Blend everything together in a food processor, adjusting consistency, if necessary, with additional filtered water.
  
  Cover tightly and allow to stand at room temperature for 3 days before transferring to the refrigerator. Will keep for about 4 months.
  
  Reply
The Best of 2009 « Edible Aria said,

January 1, 2010 at 1:45 pm

[...] Kentucky Bourbon-Glazed Chicken (5,735 views) Local, pastured chicken brined overnight with garlic, peppercorns and lemon peel, [...]

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