This is the secret that chefs never tell you about. It’s very easy and economical, and requires no special cookware.

Brining is like a marinade as it keeps food moist and tender. Brining or salting is a way of increasing the moisture holding capacity of meat resulting in a moister product when it is cooked. Salt changes the structure of the muscle tissue in the meat which allows it to swell and absorb water and flavorings which results in a tender turkey or chicken once cooked.

How To Make Brine for Poultry:

Brining poultry is very easy and economical, and requires no special cookware. Brining is like a marinade as it keeps food moist and tender. Brining or salting is a way of increasing the moisture holding capacity of meat resulting in a moister product when it is cooked.

* What is a brine: One of the great things about brining is that there are so few rules. Most brines start with water and salt — traditionally, 3/4 pound of salt per gallon of water, but since we’re not concerned with the brine as a preservative, you can cut back on the salt. The amount of brining time is likewise not set in stone. Even a little brining is better than none.

* What type of salt to use in brine: Kosher salt and table salt (without iodine) are the most common salts used in brining. Sea salt can be used, but it tends to be quite expensive. I usually use coarse kosher salt.

A cup of table salt and a cup of kosher salt are not equal. Table salt weighs approximately 10 ounces per cup and kosher salt weighs approximately 5 to 8 ounces per cup depending on the brand. If using kosher salt in a brine, you must use more than a cup to achieve the same “saltiness” you would get from a cup of table salt.

I hope you enjoyed this tasty barbecue chicken recipe. If you would like more tantalizing recipe ideas for your next barbecue, head over to Barbecue Party for hundreds of varied and delicious barbecue chicken recipes and much more. They have a wealth of BBQ guides, recipes, how-to’s, hints, tips and reviews, with a blog that is updated daily, so don’t forget to subscribe to their feed.

The meat and brine solution must be kept below 40 degrees F. at all times. Since brining does not preserve meat, the turkey and brine must be kept refrigerated at all times.

* Using the Refrigerator:

If storing the poultry in the refrigerator during brining, check to make sure that the container will fit in your refrigerator! A container large enough to hold a whole turkey might be too big for your fridge.
* Using a Picnic Cooler:

First, choose a container that is large enough to keep the turkey completely submerged during the brining process. It is important to thoroughly clean and sanitize the cooler before and after use.

You must keep the poultry and brine cold without diluting the mixture when using a cooler. Put the meat and brine directly in the cooler, then place Ziploc bags filled with ice or reusable gel packs into the brine solution.

Another approach is to put the turkey and brine into a turkey oven roasting bag inside the cooler, and then pack ice or gel packs around the bag.

Monitor the temperature of the cooler to make sure it stays below 40 degrees F. at all times.

Finally, the last thing you would want to happen after taking all that trouble to brine your turkey is to cook it in a slapdash manner. Cover the breast of the bird with foil during the first half of roasting to ensure it doesn’t dry out. After that, remove the foil and baste it every half hour till the bird is done.

Cooking turkey is a real event because it’s not done very often. The size of the bird and work involved tend to discourage novices from trying it out, but the effort pays off in the end.

I hope you enjoyed this tasty barbecue chicken recipe. If you would like more tantalizing recipe ideas for your next barbecue, head over to Barbecue Party for hundreds of varied and delicious barbecue chicken recipes and much more. They have a wealth of BBQ guides, recipes, how-to’s, hints, tips and reviews, with a blog that is updated daily, so don’t forget to subscribe to their feed.

BOSTON LETTUCE

Boston lettuce is soft and thin, with buttery pale leaves. It is ideal for salads or sandwiches. But be careful—Boston lettuce bruises easily so tear it gently when using.

ESCAROLE

Escarole has crisp, green outer leaves with a pale heart. You can chop and mix escarole with milder greens (as these that a sharper taste), or you can even cook it as a side dish.

RADDICCHIO

You can always tell radicchio lettuce by its bright distinctive red leaves. This lettuce has a bit of a bitter tang to it. It adds a lot of color to your salads, though. It is great mixed with other types of lettuce.

BELGIAN ENDIVE

Belgian endive is very pale in color—white with a light greeny-yellow at the tips. It comes in small oval shaped heads and has a crunchy, mild, slightly bitter taste. Separate the tightly closed leaves and toss them into a salad. The leaves themselves can be like little boats that you can fill for hors d’oeuvres too.

ARUGULA

This type of lettuce has a peppery taste to it and is dark green in color. It is great in a salad with fresh fruit, or you can stir it into a hot pasta for your supper’s main dish.

LEAF LETTUCE

This type of lettuce comes in green and red varieties. It is loose-headed with soft, delicate leaves. It has a mild flavor that goes with almost anything. Try mixing both red and green varieties into your salad with other types of lettuce to make a really spectacular dish.

ROMAINE

Romaine lettuce is famous for its use in Caesar salads. It comes in a large closely bunched group of leaves that are long and crisp. It is used so successfully in Caesar salads because it holds its crispness when the dressing is added.

ICEBURG LETTUCE

This is the most common lettuce used—the one that is light green in color in a tightly closed ball shape. It has a very mild crisp flavor and is very good as a salad base, or you can chop it up for use on tacos too.

Why not try exploring the different types of lettuce in your salads and find brand new tastes to enjoy? Soft, crunchy, bitter or sweet—they all are perfect for individual salads or as a base for a variety of other vegetables or ingredients.

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Jerk marinade (your favorite) 3 cups
Garlic, chopped 3 Tbsp
Thyme, fresh chopped 1 Tbsp
Allspice, ground 1 tsp
Water 1 cup
Scallions, sliced 1/8″ 4 Tbsp
Chicken Wings whole, thawed 5 pounds
Jerk Seasoning Dry* as needed

MARINATING METHOD

Add the jerk marinade, garlic, thyme, allspice, water, and scallions in a large bowl and mix well using a whip to evenly combine the ingredients. Add the chicken wings to the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf.
Tips

* Make sure the chicken wings are fully thawed this helps the chicken to fully absorb the marinade.

* Marinate the chicken wings for 18 to 24 hours before cooking. The longer the marinating time, the more flavorful the wings will become.

Method

After marinating is complete, remove the wings from the marinade and place in a clean bowl. Lightly season the wings with the dry jerk seasoning and lay on a sheet pan with the wing tips face down. Bake the wings at 350ºF for 20 – 25 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator to chill to 40ºF.
Tips

* Make sure the wings are drained well after being removed from the marinade or the seasoning will not fully adhere to the wings.

* The wings are cooked with the wing tips face down, to allow more even cooking and removal of excess fat from the chicken skin.

* By pre-cooking the wings this prevents flare-ups on the grill during the final grilling procedure

GRILLING PROCEDURE

Heat your gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Place the chilled wings on the grill and grill for 2 ½ – 3 minutes on each side. The skin of the wings should develop a crisp texture and a mahogany like color. Make sure the wings are fully heated to 165ºF.

Tips:

* Wings can also be placed on the grill directly from the oven to express the cooking process.

* Allspice or pimento leaves can be placed on the grill during the grilling process to give the wings a light smoked flavor.

I hope you enjoyed this guide on how to cook BBQ ribs. If you would like more tantalizing recipe ideas for your next barbecue, head over to Barbecue Party for hundreds of varied and delicious barbecue chicken recipes and much more. They have a wealth of BBQ guides, recipes, how-to’s, hints, tips and reviews, with a blog that is updated daily, so don’t forget to subscribe to their feed.

1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 small shallots, minced
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
¾ cup olive oil
Two-3 ½ lbs chickens

Marinate the chicken : In a bowl, blend together the vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Put the chickens in a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal and turn to thoroughly coat the chickens. Refrigerate overnight, turning a few times.

Mop

½ cup dry white wine, ½ cup apple juice Combine the wine and apple juice in a spray bottle or small bowl.

Drain the chickens. Set them on a large rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle all over with the rub, inside and out.

Set the chicken breast side up on the grill grate over the drip pan, with their cavities facing the coals. Cover and cook for 2 hours, spraying the chickens with the mop every hour. Check the thermometer to maintain a temperature of 250° to 275° F.

After 2 hours, turn the chickens 90° F, still breast side up, so their sides are facing the heat. Be careful When turning the chickens to keep the juices inside the cavities. Spray the chickens with the mop. Cover and cook for 1 hour, then turn the chickens so that their opposite sides are facing the heat. Spray again, then cover and cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours longer, until a thermometer inserted in the inner thigh reads 170° F.

Transfer the chickens to a rimmed baking sheet.

Pour the cavity juices into a serving bowl. Let the chickens rest for 10 minutes. Cut off the whole legs and transfer them to a platter. Slice the breast meat off the bone and transfer to the platter. Add any accumulated juices to the serving bowl.

Serve the chicken with the juices and your favorite BBQ sauce.

I hope you enjoyed this guide on how to cook BBQ ribs. If you would like more tantalizing recipe ideas for your next barbecue, head over to Barbecue Party for hundreds of varied and delicious barbecue chicken recipes and much more. They have a wealth of BBQ guides, recipes, how-to’s, hints, tips and reviews, with a blog that is updated daily, so don’t forget to subscribe to their feed.

2 1/2 lbs chicken parts

BBQ Sauce:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 orange zest, removed with grater, orange
slices reserved for salad

Salad:

1 large, ripe tomato
1 orange, sectioned (without rind, see above)
2 scallions, chopped
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/8 Teaspoon salt
1/8 Teaspoon pepper

Prepare grill; heat coals.

In medium bowl, mix together all barbecue ingredients until smooth. Place chicken on grill away from center heat, skin?side?down; cook 15 minutes. Turn chicken and grill for 10 additional minutes. Brush chicken pieces with sauce and turn occasionally; cooking for additional 10 minutes.

Cut tomato into wedges and place in medium bowl. Use sharp paring knife to cut out white pith off orange. Remove orange sections and add them to tomato. Sprinkle with oil, vinegar and scallions; toss. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve chicken with salad on the side.

Tips:

It is especially important that the poultry be properly thawed before cooking. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator while it is in the original wrapper.
You can place it on a tray to catch any drips that may fall as it thaws.

When thawing in the refrigerator is not possible because there is not enough time, there are two other alternatives. For rapid thawing, you can put the bird in watertight wrapping and then submerge in cold water. You should change the water frequently as this will help quicken the process. Smaller birds require about one to two hours.

The other alternative is to leave the bird in its wrapper and put it into a
heavy paper grocery bag. Close up the bag and put it into a cool room. You
will need to check it frequently, and once the bird is thawed, you must cook
it immediately.

I hope you enjoyed this guide on how to cook BBQ ribs. If you would like more tantalizing recipe ideas for your next barbecue, head over to Barbecue Party for hundreds of varied and delicious barbecue chicken recipes and much more. They have a wealth of BBQ guides, recipes, how-to’s, hints, tips and reviews, with a blog that is updated daily, so don’t forget to subscribe to their feed.

2 1/2 lbs chicken parts

BBQ Sauce:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 orange zest, removed with grater, orange
slices reserved for salad

Salad:

1 large, ripe tomato
1 orange, sectioned (without rind, see above)
2 scallions, chopped
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/8 Teaspoon salt
1/8 Teaspoon pepper

Prepare grill; heat coals.

In medium bowl, mix together all barbecue ingredients until smooth. Place chicken on grill away from center heat, skin?side?down; cook 15 minutes. Turn chicken and grill for 10 additional minutes. Brush chicken pieces with sauce and turn occasionally; cooking for additional 10 minutes.

Cut tomato into wedges and place in medium bowl. Use sharp paring knife to cut out white pith off orange. Remove orange sections and add them to tomato. Sprinkle with oil, vinegar and scallions; toss. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve chicken with salad on the side.

Tips:

It is especially important that the poultry be properly thawed before cooking. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator while it is in the original wrapper.
You can place it on a tray to catch any drips that may fall as it thaws.

When thawing in the refrigerator is not possible because there is not enough time, there are two other alternatives. For rapid thawing, you can put the bird in watertight wrapping and then submerge in cold water. You should change the water frequently as this will help quicken the process. Smaller birds require about one to two hours.

The other alternative is to leave the bird in its wrapper and put it into a
heavy paper grocery bag. Close up the bag and put it into a cool room. You
will need to check it frequently, and once the bird is thawed, you must cook
it immediately.

I hope you enjoyed this guide on how to cook BBQ ribs. If you would like more tantalizing recipe ideas for your next barbecue, head over to Barbecue Party for hundreds of varied and delicious barbecue chicken recipes and much more. They have a wealth of BBQ guides, recipes, how-to’s, hints, tips and reviews, with a blog that is updated daily, so don’t forget to subscribe to their feed.

Borscht is a red soup that is greater than the sum of its parts. I am almost hesitant to tell you that beet roots are the main ingredient because…well, that doesn’t exactly sound all that great does it? Trust me. It is. Even better, you can put the ingredients in a slow cooker in the morning and it will be ready when dinner rolls around. On a cold winter day, it really hits the spot. This is why it is such a staple meal in much of Russia and Eastern Europe.

There are different recipes for borscht. The main ingredients are:

4 large white onions
2 medium peeled potatoes
4 peeled carrots
1/2 head of cabbage
3 medium-beets
3 large cloves of garlic
2 large tomatoes [optional]
Parsley and/or dill (to taste)

Slice, dice and mince the onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic and so on as appropriate. Place into the slow cooker. Add 3 cups of water or beef broth to the cooker to the point where everything is covered. Now add a tablespoon of salt and brown sugar. Cover and slow cook for 8.5 hours.

When the cooking time is done, give it a taste. You may want to add salt to spruce up the taste. Once done, it is time to pull out the sour cream. Pour a bowl of the borscht and then add a dob of sour cream to the bowl. If you’re into authentic Russian style, you’ll need some vodka too, but I leave that to you! Regardless, you can dig in. It should be excellent as the beets and sour cream really go together.

Thomas Ajava writes for BasicCookingTips.com – where you can find easy crockpot recipes.

[A Simple recipe for the ultimate Mughlai dish]

By

VIKRAM KARVE

If you want a first impression of the authenticity of a “Mughlai” Restaurant, the first dish you must order and taste is a “Do Piaza” and it will give you an idea of the standard and authenticity of Mughlai Cuisine you can expect there.

Indeed the “Do Piaza” may be considered the culinary benchmark to judge and evaluate a Mughlai Restaurant.

And if Do Piaza [Mutton or Chicken] doesn’t figure on the menu, you better order Chinese or Continental, or stick to the ubiquitous “Punjabi” Butter Chicken-Naan routine!

“Do Piaza” means “two onions” or rather “double onions”.

Now how did this dish get its name?

Maybe it’s apocryphal, but legend has it that this delicious dish was invented by Mullah Do-Piaza, a renowned and celebrated cook at the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court. One of the Navaratnas (nine jewels), it is said he could conjure up culinary delights using only two onions, and a Mughlai dish cooked in that particular style is called a “Do Piaza”.

Water is not used at all when cooking a Do Piaza.

Onions (Piaz or Pyaaz) are used twice – hence the name “Do” [“Two”] Piaza, or Pyaaza, spell it whichever way you like.

Come Dear Reader and fellow Foodie; let’s together cook a Chicken Do Piaza. It takes time, but it’s easy.

THE FIRST PIAZA

First cut a generous number of onions (the more the onions the sweeter the gravy) into rings, yes separate onion rings.

Now, in a large cooking vessel, put in the chicken pieces, add a liberal amount of curds and mix well. Copiously layer the chicken-curd mixture with the onion rings, cover with a tight lid and set aside to marinate for at least an hour.

Remember, do not vigorously mix in the onion rings; just liberally layer the chicken-curd mélange with the onion rings.

After marinating the chicken-curd-onion ring mixture for an hour or more, place the vessel on a slow fire with the lid on, and let the chicken cook slowly in its own juices and those released by the onion rings, till the onion rings are reduced to a pulp and, finally, the liquid almost dries up.

This is the first “Piaza”!

THE SECOND PIAZA

In another pan, pour in and heat pure ghee and fry sliced onions (the “second” piaza) till crisp brown, add finely chopped ginger and garlic, bay leaf, slit green chillies, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and then an adequate amount of chopped tomatoes, stir and fry on slow fire, and when the ghee separates, add the chicken [cooked in curds and onion rings] from the first pot, and stir fry till well browned and the gravy becomes nice and thick.

I don’t like to add garam masala, turmeric, red chilli powder, or any other spice powders; but if you like it, go ahead.

I always find it best to taste the gravy and add the minimal amount of salt as necessary almost at the end of the cooking process.

Remember, do not add water at any stage or you will ruin the dish.

A “Do Piaza” cooks in its own juices – during both the first and second “piazas”.

EATING THE “DO PIAZA”

Place in a serving dish, squeeze a lemon, garnish with fresh green chopped coriander and your Chicken Do Piaza is ready to eat.

But first let’s “visually” savour the Do Piaza in our mind’s eye.

It looks appetizing – nicely browned generous pieces of succulent mutton, in translucent juicy onion rings in scrumptious gravy.

It smells good too – heavenly mouth-watering aroma wafts towards you making you smack your lips and salivate in anticipation of the gastronomic treat that awaits you.

It tastes marvellous – absolutely delicious, not spicy hot, but mild and flavoursome, the unique sweetish zest of onions is discernible and as the heavenly medley of flavours and fragrances synergizes inside you, and you feel a sense of supreme satisfaction.

Relish the Chicken Do Piaza with hot chappties, phulkas or even a piece of soft fluffy pav, and you will experience sheer bliss.

Happy Eating.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

vikramkarve@sify.com

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU and The Lawrence School Lovedale, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource and Training Manager by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book “Appetite for a Stroll”. Vikram lives in Pune with his family and pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

This recipe can be made with any cut of chicken, breasts, drumsticks or chicken pieces threaded onto kebabs.

This sauce can double both as a marinade and as a sauce simply mix the basic ingredients together for the

marinade then separate and use a third for marinade and two-thirds for the cooked sauce.

Ingredients

4-6 chicken breasts
4-6 chicken drumsticks
4-6 chicken breasts cut into chunks and threaded onto kebab skewers

(BBQ sauce)
1 onion (very finely chopped)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp oil
2 dsp cider vinegar
1 tsp grainy mustard & ¼ tsp paprika pepper
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
Few drops of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 large tin tomatoes (400g/14oz) chopped
1 dsp tomato puree
200g/8 oz vegetables (peppers, mushrooms, spring onions)

Method

Trim off any visible skin or fat at this stage, then brush with a little olive oil. Brush the chicken pieces

with the marinade. Begin placing on the barbeque and cook until tender. Turn occasionally and brush with extra marinade. Ensure the chicken is no longer pink before serving. This can be served with the deep southern barbeque sauce.

BBQ sauce

Toss the crushed garlic and onion in hot oil for 1-2 mins. Add the cider vinegar, grainy mustard, pepper, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning cooking for a further 1-2 mins until the sauce almost caramelises.

Add the tin of tomatoes and 1 dsp of tomato puree. Continue to cook for a further 3-4 mins. After cooking this sauce can be cooled and stored in a screw top jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

At this stage take 1/3 of the mixture and use as a marinade. Take the remainder of the sauce and to this add 1 yellow pepper finely diced 4 oz mushrooms finely diced and 4-6 spring onions finely chopped.

Return to the heat and cook for a further 5 mins. This will give you a wonderful chunky barbeque sauce.

I hope you enjoyed this tasty barbecue chicken recipe. If you would like more tantalizing recipe ideas for your next barbecue, head over to Barbecue Party for hundreds of varied and delicious barbecue chicken recipes and much more. They have a wealth of BBQ guides, recipes, how-to’s, hints, tips and reviews, with a blog that is updated daily, so don’t forget to subscribe to their feed.