GLWhiskeyKitchen

Dinner · · By Ashley

Oberon-Brined Roast Chicken

A sheet of cheesecloth soaked in melted butter does the basting for you, and holds the browning back until you are ready for it.

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Prep
4 hr 30 min
Cook
1 hr 20 min
Total
6 hr 5 min
Serves
4 to 6
Level
Medium
A whole roast chicken on a board, skin golden and glossy with a sprig of rosemary tied across the breast

Where the time goes

6 hr 5 min, mostly waiting

  • Hands-on
  • Hands-off
  1. 01Hands-onMake the brine and let it cool15 min
  2. 02Hands-offBrine4 to 12 hr
  3. 03Hands-offPat dry, then air-dry in the fridge · optional, for crispier skin1 to 2 hr
  4. 04Hands-offRoast under the cheesecloth1 hr
  5. 05Hands-offRoast uncovered15 to 20 min
  6. 06Hands-offRest15 min

The story

The brine is two bottles of Bell's Oberon, fresh thyme, garlic and peppercorns. Oberon is a Kalamazoo wheat ale with a lot of orange in it, and that citrus and wheat carries straight into the meat.

The cooking is the butter-cheesecloth trick. You soak a piece of cheesecloth in melted butter and drape it over the bird for the first hour. It bastes the breast the whole time and keeps the skin from going dark before the thighs are done. Peel it off for the last 15 to 20 minutes and the skin crisps up underneath.

Same brine, different fire: the smoked version of this chicken is right next to it in the archive.

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

Tap an ingredient to check it off.

The Oberon and thyme brine

The roast

If you haven't got it

  • Bell's Oberon Ale — another wheat ale

Method

Tap a step number to mark it done.

Brine: 4 to 12 hours ahead

  1. Dissolve

    In a large pot over medium heat, stir 2 cups of the water with the salt and brown sugar until both have completely dissolved. Take it off the heat.

    Looking down into a steel pot at salt, black peppercorns, smashed garlic and bay leaves for the brine
    The brine going together in the pot.

  2. Mix and chill

    Pour in the remaining 2 cups of cold water, the Oberon, thyme, peppercorns and garlic. Let the brine cool all the way to room temperature.

    Never put raw chicken into warm brine.

  3. Submerge

    Put the chicken in a brining bag or a deep pot and pour the cooled brine over it. Make sure the bird is fully under.

    The chicken under the foamy Oberon brine, with thyme, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns floating on top
    Fully under, herbs on top.

  4. Brine

    Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12.

  5. Dry

    Lift the chicken out and throw the brine away. Pat it completely dry with paper towels, inside and out.

    For the crispiest skin, leave it uncovered in the fridge for another 1 to 2 hours after drying.

Roast

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F / 190°C.

  2. Season

    Rub the outside of the chicken with the olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Go easy: the brine has already seasoned the meat.

  3. Soak the cloth

    Push the cheesecloth into the melted butter until it is completely saturated.

  4. Drape

    Set the chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan and lay the butter-soaked cheesecloth over it so the breasts and thighs are fully covered.

  5. Roast for about 1 hour.

  6. The reveal

    Carefully peel off and discard the cheesecloth, then roast another 15 to 20 minutes so the skin underneath can brown and crisp.

  7. Check the temperature

    Pull the chicken when the thickest part of the thigh reads 160 to 165°F / 71 to 74°C. Rest it for 15 minutes before carving.

    It keeps climbing a few degrees while it rests, so 160°F out of the oven lands right at 165°F.

Things worth knowing

  • Let the brine cool completely before the chicken goes in.
  • The extra hour uncovered in the fridge after brining is the difference between good skin and great skin.
  • Season the outside lightly. The brine already did most of the work.

Swaps that work

  • No Oberon? Any wheat ale works. Add a few strips of orange peel to the brine to get closer to Oberon's citrus.

Credits and sources

Ingredients · 6 hr 5 min · Serves 4 to 6

The Oberon and thyme brine

  • 2 (12 oz)Bell's Oberon Ale
  • 4 cupswater
  • ¼ cupkosher salt
  • ¼ cupbrown sugar
  • 6 to 8 sprigsfresh thyme
  • 1 tbspblack peppercorns
  • 3 clovesgarlic
  • 1 (4 to 5 lb)whole chicken

The roast

  • 4 tbspunsalted butter
  • 1 tbspolive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 piecefood-grade cheesecloth

Filed under

More dinner
  • Grilling
    A smoked chicken with lacquered mahogany skin resting on a wire rack

    Oberon-Brined Smoked Chicken

    A whole chicken brined in Bell's Oberon and fresh thyme, then smoked low and slow over fruitwood until the skin goes mahogany.

    7 hr 15 min · Medium

  • Dinner
    The supreme pizza still in its cast iron skillet, the cheese charred at the edges and loaded with pepperoni, salami, mushrooms and peppers

    Ore Dock Supreme Pizza

    Cast iron pan pizza on a long-fermented IPA and parmesan crust, loaded with every supreme topping and baked at 550°F until the edges char and the bottom fries.

    8 hr 10 min · Medium

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