Late Night Coffee Brined Chicken
Are we making breakfast or brining chicken? Coffee, milk, butter, orange, brown sugar, black peppercorns, whole cloves, and star anise. (Not pictured: chicken -- try as we might, we just can...
In goes the salt. (Merrill, let Amanda help!)
Stopping by woods on a snowy evening ... you know the rest!
With conviction, Amanda pounds the star anise, black peppercorns, and whole cloves into the snow -- oops, excuse us -- salt.
Now that's what we call moral support.
No, Merrill, you may not use your orange as a handpuppet.
The dry ingredients moistened with orange juice and poised for coffee action. Funky looking? Yes. The stuff of a great brine? You betcha.
We make our coffee in a French press (this one is actually the classic Bodum, despite the new, angular design -- we miss the handsome little feet!).
Why, Merrill! How well you pour your coffee!
It may as well be late night at Amanda's -- doesn't it look like the midnight oil's burning in the background as we add the brine to the ice to cool?
An autumn punch? No, and don't even think about drinking this.
No matter how awkward the task, Merrill always manages to smile through it. Wider, Merrill, wider!
After the bird finished brining, we arranged him neatly on a sheet pan, re-posing his flailing limbs -- gingerroot smartly instructs us dry him out for an hour in the fridge post-brine to...
Skin nice and dry, we brown him on all sides. A bronzed bird in a blue Dutch oven -- a match made in heaven.
Not your average birdbath. Here's the step that had us thinking of pork cooked in milk.
Breakfast no longer. Dinner is served.
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A&M say: We nicknamed this recipe "Breakfast Chicken," since it includes all three arms of the morning triumvirate: coffee, orange juice and milk. Like pork braised in milk, gingerroot's roast chicken emerges from the pot tender and melting, and it has a beautiful burnished exterior wherever the skin hasn't been submerged in the liquid. The spiced coffee and orange brine infuses the meat with a smoky fragance -- the flavor is subtle but discernable, and unlike anything we can recall. - A&M
gingerroot says: Early in the week, I knew I wanted to combine coffee and orange. Yesterday, after sitting in my fridge defrosting for a day and a half, my whole chicken whispered to me "it's now or never." Since it was Wednesday, I did not have time for an overnight brine, so turned to Michael Ruhlman's quick brine. Substituting hot, freshly brewed coffee for water, I added cloves, star anise, whole black pepper and fresh oranges to the brine. Okay, brine finished, now how to proceed? A while back, I adapted Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk recipe and remembered how incredibly tender the finished chicken turned out. This time, with the coffee brine, cooking the chicken in milk seemed to make sense, and just to round out the coffee-milk pair, I rubbed the brined chicken in brown sugar before browning in a little butter. I was curious to see how it would turn out, and frankly a little nervous. When I took the chicken out at midnight, after an hour and forty minutes, the chicken was dark, splitting and sitting in a pool of rich sauce. Although not the prettiest bird I’ve ever seen to come forth from the oven, it was rich and flavorful, extremely tender (falling off the bone!) with sweet and smoky undertones. - gingerroot
Serves 4
For the Chicken
- 1 4 -5 lb whole organic chicken
- 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups 1% milk
For the Coffee brine
- 1/2 liter hot, freshly brewed bold coffee
- 3 ounces kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorn
- 3 star anise
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 2 juicy navel oranges, halved
- 15 ounces ice
- Combine salt, peppercorns, star anise, and cloves in a small pot. Lightly crush spices with the back of a large spoon. Squeeze orange halves over mixture, and then add halves. Pour hot coffee over mixture, stir and cover pot with lid. Allow brine to steep for ten minutes.
- Meanwhile, pat chicken dry, removing giblets and neck. Place chicken in a 2 gallon sized zip lock or other plastic bag.
- Place the ice in a large bowl. Add coffee brine and stir until ice melts. Pour brine in bag with chicken (including oranges), seal and allow mixture to sit at room temperature for two to three hours. Then pat chicken dry and let it dry out for an hour in a bowl placed in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Remove chicken from refrigerator, pat dry and rub both sides with brown sugar.
- Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown chicken on both sides. Add milk, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook for an hour with the lid. Remove lid. Continue to cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees.
- Pull meat off the bones and serve with wilted greens and rice. Be sure to spoon some of the sauce over the meat, if desired.
- Your Best Recipe with Coffee Contest Winner!








about 1 month ago Julie Eldridge
Made this for my family after seeing the recipe on Yahoo. This was perhaps the juiciest, most delicious whole chicken I've had in quite some time!!! The next day I used the leftover chicken to make chicken salad and let me tell you, that was some amazing chicken salad!!! Absolutely loved it, plan on making it again in the near future!
about 1 month ago Garry Higgins
Perfect Rhion. Thank you. The chicken is relaxing in the brine right now and will continue to do so for the next 24 hr. Excited to see how this turns out. Thanks for all your help.
about 1 month ago Garry Higgins
Thank you for the responses. Can i let this brine sit overnight if I wanted to?
about 1 month ago rhion
Depends on whatcha mean: If you mean just the coffee/spice brine without the chicken, you can let it sit for a week or so in the fridge without worry. Probably longer, but I wouldn't let it go quite that long. If you mean with the chicken in it, then please, by all means, let it sit/soak for a day or two to get the full flavour into the chicken. Just make sure the container is covered, and you let it sit in the fridge rather than a counter top (just covering bases here)
about 1 month ago Bevi
A starch that will absorb the sauce? GR suggests rice. You could also make couscous, quinoa, any type of rice. She also suggest wilted greens - maybe kale collards, swiss chard or spinach?
about 1 month ago Garry Higgins
Any suggestions on what to have with this. Please?
about 1 month ago rhion
I used asparagus, nice and crunchy with a little lemon and black pepper and butter. Then half a sweet potato with just a drizzle of honey on it. And for fluffy starch the gravy was added to Israeli style couscous.
about 1 month ago gingerroot
Hi Garry, Sorry my reply is late. The savory sauce would pair well with any starch - next time I make it I may serve it with potatoes. Roasted vegetables would also be a good match. Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy it!
about 1 month ago Mandie Riggs
How does the brine melt the ice?
about 1 month ago Zon
The brine has hot coffee in it.
2 months ago danielledittmar
What a great recipe! I made this for my family and friends this week and it was a hit. We did not use the gravy; the chicken was amazing on its own. I received tons of compliments on the moistness of the bird. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
about 1 month ago gingerroot
You're welcome, danielledittmar! I'm thrilled you all enjoyed it. Happy Holidays!
2 months ago rhion
I made this, but of course with some modifications. I cold brewed my ESPRESSO, brined overnight - AND I rubbed fresh coffee grounds into the chicken before putting it in the brine. Thus far it is yielding two gorgeous cornish hens that smell heavenly. I am also using buttermilk instead of straight milk for the milk part of the recipe, which means I was able to add a bit of the brine to milk without fear of curdling.
about 1 month ago gingerroot
I love your modifications, rhion, and will have to try the cold brew route next time. Thanks for letting me know and happy holidays!
2 months ago crazbs
Great Gingerroot, thanks for getting back to me. I will try it in the fridge(especially since it is well over 90% where I am most days)and let you know how it turns out. What do you think of doing it in the fridge overnight if you have the time? Do you think that the coffee would make it bitter if it was left to brine for that long? Thanks for your help!
2 months ago gingerroot
Hi crazbs, I'm so glad you are going to try it! The question of letting it brine overnight has come up before. I've never done it myself, and also worried that it would be too bitter as a result. However, check out brainsausage's comments below...seems like it's worth a try!
2 months ago crazbs
I know that you can brine it in a cooler or in the refrigerator but this recipe specifically says to let it sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. It seems like the person that came up with this recipe must have had a reason for that but it just doesn't sound safe. I'm wondering what their reasons would be for not doing it in the refrigerator.
2 months ago gingerroot
Hi crazbs! Sorry I didn't reply yesterday - I'm up to my chin in chaotic holiday preparations - anyway, here's my rationale for this recipe. I knew I wanted to try a coffee brine but did not have the time to do it overnight (the posting deadline for this particular contest was early the next day Hawaii Standard Time). So, I did a quick internet search to see if there was a "quick brine" recipe that I could adapt. I found Michael Ruhlman's Quick Brine recipe for chicken: http://ruhlman.com/2010.... Since I'm somewhat of a novice when it comes to brining, I trusted his expertise and knowledge of cooking and food safety. If you read through the comments on his recipe, you'll see that there are other people that question letting the chicken sit out for 2-3 hours and his rationale is that if you start with a good quality chicken, that, plus the double strength salt brine, plus the fact that you are thoroughly cooking the chicken, any potential danger of bad bacteria is not a concern. However, if you still feel uncomfortable, I'd say brine it in the fridge and let me know how it turns out! I hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays.
2 months ago Scootermama
Or brine it in a cooler if the bird is still somewhat frozen. We do this with turkeys. Gotta try this, it sounds fabulous!
2 months ago gingerroot
Thanks, Scootermama! Hope you enjoy it if you do. Happy Holidays!
2 months ago crazbs
Leave chicken at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours?? This goes against everything I have ever heard about safely handling chicken. Also, I have always heard that if you are going to brine something for that long you should do it in the refrigerator so can you please tell me why this is safe. The recipe sounds great and I would like to try it but this concerns me.
2 months ago Warp10Len
Assuming the bird had been refrigerated up until the time you begin working with it, two hours at room temperature is fine -- even under the stringent requirements of the USPHS Code. Three hours, however, is not kosher (or legal).
2 months ago axeman1968
saw this recipe on yahoo and came on to this site for a better look. Do you cook the chicken in just the milk and butter or do you add the coffee brine when you cook as well. Really looking forward to trying this recipe. Really unique and sounds really yummy.
2 months ago gingerroot
Hi axeman1968, you brine the chicken in the coffee mixture, discard the brine, allow the chicken to dry out uncovered in the refrigerator and then brown it in the butter and cook it in the milk. I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try. Happy Holidays!
2 months ago denice.leavitt
I'm sorry I'm not a professional cook. Just your average "Joe". Saw this recipe on yahoo. Thought about trying it. Then I read the ingredients. Is there a reason it is not standard throughout? American, then metric, cups then ounces. What's up? No longer interested
2 months ago gingerroot
Hi denice.leavitt, Thank you for your comment. I understand where you are coming from. I adapted the brine from Michael Ruhlman's recipe here: http://ruhlman.com/2010... and was posting it at the last possible moment to get it in before the contest deadline. Had I had more time, I would have definitely gone back through and standardized the ingredient amounts - unfortunately once a contest closes, editing is no longer possible. In the Food52 Vol. 2 cookbook (which recently came out), the measurements are standardized - 1/2 cup kosher salt, 2 cups hot coffee, 3 cups ice cubes...If you change your mind, I hope you enjoy it.
2 months ago rhion
The conversions are super easy to do in your head, and honestly, unless someone is baking pastries or souffles, exacting measurements aren't truly necessary. Even the 'average Joe' cook should be able to smell things and see if it smells like it would go well together. As we always said in my household 'the nose knows'. Listen to that more than a worry over conversions, otherwise you just take out the fun and creativity in cooking. Cooking is, and should always be, a cross between science and art, working and building upon preferences. Please don't let the issues with conversion be the single snafu that sends you away, because you've got no idea what you're missing out on.
5 months ago rtkchanga
I'd love to try this using a Romertopf clay baker. I'd probably cook it at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or so. It's got me thinking.
5 months ago gingerroot
What a great idea, rtkchanga! Let me know how it turns out.
11 months ago brainsausage
Oops! That should say 1 cup to every two gallons! Sorry!
11 months ago brainsausage
Although I haven't tried this recipe yet(and it sounds quite intriguing btw), I have some minor suggestions. I spend a good amount of my time managing a restaurant kitchen spearheading the brining/curing/meat manipulation side of things. In my experience a good 24-48 hour brine on whole poultry adds an amazing amount of flavor and juicyness, as the salt performs it's cell osmosis magic and fills the birds full of goodness. In regards to your concerns with acidity- try cold brewing the coffee(steep over night), it produces a profoundly lessened acidity and heightens the subtle background notes of the brew. Lightly heating the cold brewed coffee with the other ingredients will help infuse the flavors. Im fairly certain you could maintain the same ratios. Also -I've found a cup of salt to a gallon of brine is a pretty favorable scale, as you might have to have to adjust for the lack of ice. Hope this helps! Thanks for sharing your creations, and I look forward to trying this recipe:)
11 months ago gingerroot
Thanks, brainsausage! I look forward to making this with your suggestions. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try.
2 months ago Warp10Len
Salt tames the bitterest of coffee brews. Use up to .5 gm salt per 2 gal coffee.
about 1 year ago BoulderGalinTokyo
I made this last night and it was Wonderful! Such an imagination, gingerroor, coffee and oranges are my new love. Thank you for a great recipe.
about 1 year ago gingerroot
So glad you enjoyed it, BoulderGalinTokyo! Thanks for letting me know.
about 1 year ago LE BEC FIN
p.s. have you tried brining it longer, and if so, how did that change the flavor?And...(trying to think outside of the box, as you have) I wonder what it would be like to sub the star anise and clove with cumin?..... hmm, coffee and cumin? thanks again.
about 1 year ago gingerroot
I have not tried brining it longer...my only concern would be that coffee might make it bitter in an unpleasant way. Using another spice combination (I've made an unbrined milk braised chicken with black cardamom and coriander http://www.food52.com/recipes... and love your idea of clove and cumin) could be phenomenal. Keep me posted!
about 1 year ago LE BEC FIN
gingerroot, i have just discovered this recipe and am most intrigued. Would you plse tell me about the milk component ? >> I am a big fan of the Pork cooked in Milk in paula wolfert's Cooking of SW France, but that milk cooks down, with the mirepoix of carrot and leek, and gets pureed and served as a thickened sauce over the pork. Does your milk cook down to make a thicker sauce or do you toss it/reuse it? Had you considered a carrot/leek (or other) base under the chicken? what innovative thinking on your part!
about 1 year ago gingerroot
Hi LBF, Thanks for your comments! I've never made Paula Wolfert's milk braised pork, but I can tell you that I have always used the milk/drippings, whether simply spooning it on the meat from the pot or making a nice gravy. It has such great flavor. I had not considered a vegetable base under the chicken but I would imagine that it would work in the same way - that you could puree it after for a lovely sauce (though you might want to separate out some of the excess fat). You have me curious now, and I think I'll try adding some leeks under the chicken the next time I make it! Thanks again and Happy New Year.
11 months ago BoulderGalinTokyo
Gingerroot, made this for 2nd time last night. I liked LBC suggestion of adding leeks and carrots under the chicken (leeks baked in cream are wonderful) so I tried it. But halfway through the baking I realized that the chicken is supposed to be cooking in the milk, not sitting on veggies. So took it out of oven and stuffed leeks around the chicken and put carrots on top. Returned to oven, It turned out Ok, leeks were good, but carrots were still hard. I think it was best done as gingerroot originally wrote the recipe. Keep chicken in milk and maybe add leeks around edges if they fit in the pan, definitely chicken not on top.
11 months ago LE BEC FIN
thx, galin, both for the helpful report and the reminder that this recipe is in my 'to do' group!
11 months ago gingerroot
Hi BGT! So happy you made this for a second time. Thank you for your update using leeks and carrots. Next time I may just add some leeks!
11 months ago gingerroot
Hi LBF, I'd love to hear what you think if you give this a try!