Just like fishing trips, some weeks in life flow by as seductively smooth as the upper Madison on an early June morning. Hatches come off like clockwork, the fish are where they’re supposed to be, your wading is sure footed, you cast like a machine and move like a ninja in the water.
On the other hand, some excursions to the river are marked by rivers high and dirty from yesterday’s storms, fishing partners high and dirty from last night’s debauchery, absent hatches, uncooperative fish, clumsy casting and unsure footwork.
We’ve had a week around our camp that’s been unsettled to say the least, much more like the high water river day than the halcyon June morning fishing we’re all looking for. It’s been busy as hell and feels like we’ve all been sprinting and making progress at a snail’s pace. Some weeks are like that.
When those sorts of days happen on the river, most of us persist and plow through most of the day anyway. When the tough weeks come, most of us persist and plow through the week anyway, though we tend to reach for some favored comfort food along the way.
Given my budding love affair with hard cider of late, today we’re feasting on these Hard Cider Grilled Chickens, made even better with a quick overnight brine in a 5% brine recipe that’s a cinch to set up and use. (Once we started doing this, we brine just about every chicken headed to the oven or grill; try it, it will change your chicken forever).
We’re in the camp that thinks ‘beer can chicken’ actually works and makes for incredibly moist and tasty birds; using a vertical roaster (versus the balancing act on the actual can) makes for a far easier grilling event and one you’ll reach for more often. Get a couple if you haven’t already.
Hard cider rocks.
Hard Cider Brine
1 bottle hard cider + warm water to make one quart
1 quart cold water
6 and 1/2 tbsp. Morton’s kosher salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (thyme or sage)
1 small onion, sliced
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp. black peppercorns
1 large lemon, quartered2 chickens (3-4 pounds)
Your Go-to rubFor the Grill
Another bottle hard cider, room temperature if using stand, or can of hard cider with another empty can of choice
Small lemon, quartered
6 gloves garlic
Fresh herbs (we reach for rosemary and thyme)
Fresh cracked pepper
Brine those chicks (optional). Combine all the brine ingredients in a large stockpot or crock and add the chickens (after removing the goods from inside) and brine for for at least 3 to 4 hours and up to 12 (the 5% brine solution allows longer times).
Get ‘em ready. Fire the grill. Remove the chickens from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Rub lightly with a touch of olive oil and the dry rub of your choice, or just lightly salt and pepper the skin.
Fill the stand’s liquid reservoirs with the hard cider (or open the can, pour half into the empty can) and add the garlic, lemon and fresh herbs; mount the birds.
Grill time. Place on the grill, cover and let ‘em run for 60-75 minutes until the skin is nicely crisped and brown and the meat is done to your satisfaction (180 on instant-read thermometer in thigh or the loose leg test).
Rest and serve. Let the birds rest for 5 minutes or so, carve or cut in half, serve and go to it.
Enjoy.
