Garlic Pickled Brined Chicken

By The Garlic Box, July 3, 2013

Don’t throw out your Garlic Pickle juice when the garlics’ gone! Chicken brined in
garlic pickle juice adds flavour and keeps it moist in the oven. A few simple steps
makes for an outstanding chicken dish.

Ingredients:

chicken on the bone (breasts & legs) - 6 pieces
brine from Garlic Pickle jar (any flavour will do) - 1 cup
olive oil - 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp
medium onions, sliced thick - 3
carrots, sliced thick - 2
celery ribs, sliced thick - 2
semi-dry white wine - 1/2 cup
bay leaves - 2
whole black peppercorns - 1 tbsp
low-sodium chicken stock or broth - 4 cups
swiss chard leaves, coarsely chopped - 2 pounds
salt and pepper to taste -

Instructions:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the chicken pieces and garlic pickling
juice with a generous pinch of black pepper. Seal bag, pressing out any air.
Refrigerate 5 hr minimum or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove chicken pieces from bag and pat dry. Season with
salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in cast iron pan. Add pieces to pan, cooking over moderate
and turning once. Cook until lightly golden and browned. Remove chicken pieces
and place in bottom of a casserole dish.
Add 1 tbsp olive oil to same pan. Saute carrots, onion, celery and black peppercorns,
about 7 minutes. Scraping up bits of browned pieces. Add wine to pan with
bay leaves. Scoop out vegetables and place on chicken pieces in casserole dish.
Add chicken broth to remaining wine in iron skillet and bring to a boil. Remove
pan from heat and pour combined stock over chicken pieces in casserole. Cover
and bake in oven about 1 hour.
Remove from oven and strain out liquid. Boil liquid until reduced to about 1 cup of
sauce.
Meanwhile add remaining olive oil to cast iron pan and quickly sauté
swiss chard leaves. Remove from pan. With leftover oil, do a
quick browning of chicken pieces from casserole.
Return chicken pieces to casserole, top with swiss chard leaves
and pour reduced stock over chicken.
Serve with noodles or rice being sure to gather up pieces of
vegetable with each chicken piece.