mailbox girl wrote:

> I like to brine the chicken for about an hour before I cook because
> the results for the meat are great but the skin never browns, is
> there a way to brine and get cripsy brown skin?
> Much thanks,

Cripsy skin is the result of heat and fat interactions, and brining is=20
essentially irrelevant to it. To get a wonderfully cripsy skin, you=20
want a "pellicle" before you cook it. Brine the chicken for a good bit=20
longer than an hour - more like 8 to 12 hours - and take it out of the=20
brine a couple hours before you're going ot cook it. Set it on a rack=20
over a plate or tray and put it in the fridge uncovered. The skin will=20
dry and form a leathery-feeling surface. That's the pellicle you feel.

Roast at 325=B0F or higher, unstuffed, until the thigh registers 160=B0 t=
o=20
165=B0F. Pull it and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Carve. Cripsy=20
skin, moist, tender meat. Faster cook than unbrined.

Pastorio