Shelly's Recipe

BROILED CHICKEN WITH GARLIC, LEMON AND ROSEMARY RUB

Category: Chicken

1 (3 1/2-4 lb) chicken, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup sugar
6 tbsp salt

Rub:
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 2 lemons
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Dissolve the sugar and salt in 1 quart cold water in a large bowl, stockpot or Dutch oven. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into 6 pieces, discarding the wings. Immerse the chicken in the brine and cover; refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and the other rack in the upper-middle position (the top rack should be about 5 inch from the heating element; the bottom rack should be about 13 inch away. Heat the broiler.

Combine the garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Combine the lemon juice and oil in another small bowl.

Make three diagonal slashed in the skin to each chicken piece to help render the fat when cooking. Spread garlic rub mixture over chicken and place skin-side down on an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan. Broil on the bottom rack of the oven until just beginning to brown, 12-16 minutes.

Using tongs, turn the chicken skin-side up and continue to broil on the bottom rack until the skin is slightly crisp and the thickest part of the breast meat registers 160 degrees, about 10 minutes. (If the skin browns to quickly, cover only the pieces that are browning to quickly with small pieces of foil.)

Transfer the breast pieces to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Continue to broil the thighs and drumsticks on the bottom rack until the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, about 5 minutes longer. Return the breast pieces, skin-side up, to the pan and brush the chicken with the lemon mixture. Move the pan to the upper rack to crisp the skin, about 1 minute more. Serve.