Bradley Smoked Chicken Drumsticks

I HAVE BEEN BRINING CHICKEN BEFORE COOKING IT FOR MANY YEARS. Because the chicken industry is so vast, & it has gotten to the point where store bought is the norm, I have found chicken has become less and less tasteful. A fryer's lifespan from going from the egg to the pot is only 45 days. The days of farming a chicken are long gone. Do yourself a favour and find a farmer selling fresh free range chickens. You will be forever surprised at how tastier that bird is compared to store bought conveniently processed for your convenience.

Ingredients

8 TO 10 pounds of chicken drumsticks from Costco costing $20 bucks

1 can of coconut milk

¾ cup of sugar

¾ cup of salt

Tablespoon of baking soda (optional, does make the skin a little crispy)

3 quarts of water.

Whatever chicken pieces you like.

Seasoning of your choice

Preparation

I have dabbled with brines, and I think I have come up with the ultimate brine for chicken, and it is simple. I have used it on turkeys as well as chicken but the last couple of chicken recipes I have done were surprisingly taste full, with a stronger chicken flavour. I can no longer keep it a secret. The secret sauce is nothing more than coconut milk straight out of the can. Mixed with water, sugar & salt. The recipe will follow. So the chicken pieces, (this time I used chicken drumstick) were submerged in the brine for 48 hours, Removed from the brine, rinsed off very well and dried before I added my seasoning. They then went into the Bradley Smoker for 3 hours set at 225 degrees F using Special Blend Bradley Smoking Bisquettes™ The drum sticks were fully cooked (check the internal temperature to make sure) after only 3 hours. Served warm with some Ranch Dressing a couple of hours later. Back to the brine, my guess is the coconut milk is loaded with potassium. It is the potassium that enhances the chicken flavour. It sure works. My seasoning was simple enough, and no one complained that it was too spicy. I usually put a bottle of tabasco sauce on the side for those who want a bit of zing to it.

Put the coconut milk, sugar, salt, and water in a blender and blend it together. Put the chicken in a Tupperware container big enough to add the brine mixture. Add more water if you need to get all the chicken submerged. Place in the fridge for 48 hours. Remove, rinse the chicken and allow to dry. Place the chicken in a zip lock with chicken seasoning and lightly coat the chicken by shaking the chicken and seasoning together. Then place the chicken on racks and smoke/cook at 225F for 3 hours or get the internal temperature to around 160F. Its now ready to be served.

Special
Blend

Special Blend Wood Bisquettes

Specially created to add a distinct flavor to any dish, and pairs well with poultry, fish, seafood, beef, pork, lamb, game, and water fowl.

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