The one factor higher than a very good recipe? When one thing’s really easy that you simply don’t even want one. Welcome to It’s That Easy, a column the place we discuss you thru the dishes and drinks you may make along with your eyes closed.
My fridge’s cheese drawer hosts a rotating forged of characters. Maybe there’s cheddar to fulfill a mac and cheese craving, or blue to place towards a steak salad. Possibly I couldn’t not get that mini Harbison that was on sale on the cheese counter. However a choose few are constants: I at all times have no less than a few balls of mozzarella readily available for our weekly pizza evening and, with out fail, a big tub of feta in brine.
That’s not as a result of I can’t cease making the baked feta pasta that went viral on TikTok a couple of years in the past. (When you should know, I made it as soon as and moved on.) It’s as a result of I get two substances from that bathtub: each feta and brine. How I exploit the cheese is reasonably apparent—it livens up my salads, frittatas, and sandwiches.
The brine, although, is equally beloved. Not solely does it preserve the cheese moist and contemporary for weeks, it’s my absolute favourite marinade ingredient—particularly for juicy grilled rooster. When I’m performed with the cheese itself, I exploit the brine’s salty, tangy energy to make the very best grilled rooster. When this marinade will get concerned, even grilled rooster breasts gained’t dry out.
Feta brine is an excellent comfort. Earlier than the cheese is submerged for storage, it’s nothing however a mixture of water and salt. When feta sits in it, although, the cheese slowly contributes its taste into the liquid. From a science-y standpoint, crucial half is that lactic acid from the feta finds its method into the brine. All acid—like lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and purple wine vinegar—can tenderize meat when utilized in a marinade. The one downside with citrus and vinegars is that they’re a bit too robust. If meat is left to marinate with excessive concentrations of those acidic substances for longer than a couple of hours, it could possibly turn into rubbery and hard. Lactic acid, nonetheless, is gentler. When you’ve ever marinated rooster in yogurt, you’ve already witnessed its wonders. Feta brine works equally. However in contrast to yogurt, which is apparent, feta brine is delightfully salty. So each the seasoning and tenderizing qualities of a very good marinade are constructed proper in, leaving you with flavorful rooster from only one single marinade ingredient, which mainly comes free along with your cheese.
Feta-Brine Grilled Rooster Marinade
Relying on how a lot rooster you’re marinating and grilling, you possibly can simply double or halve this recipe. An ordinary pack of rooster at my grocery retailer is normally about 1½ kilos, which serves about 4 folks, in order that’s normally what I make.
You should utilize any reduce of rooster you want, boneless or bone-in, however I typically use boneless skinless rooster breasts or rooster thighs. Rooster tenders would work too. Place 1½ kilos rooster in a bowl and pour ½ cup feta brine (an ordinary 8-oz. container of feta in brine will provide you with this and extra) over it. Squish the rooster down along with your fingers to verify it’s completely submerged then cowl the bowl and let the rooster marinate within the fridge for 8 to 24 hours. (You would additionally do that in a zip-top bag in the event you favor.)
