Sage Brined Poached Chicken Breast

While boneless skinless chicken breast can sometimes be dull and dry, this recipe is not. Brining meat helps to soften the muscle tissue and leads to a more tender and moist texture.

As the chicken soaks in brine, the dried sage reconstitutes, infusing the water and lending a subtle flavor to the chicken. The olive oil also imparts its flavor on the chicken, in addition to keeping the meat from drying out as it cooks. Meanwhile, the salt remaining on the meat from the brine seasons the cooking liquid.

Sage Brined Chicken Breast – serves 2 – 4

2 – 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 C water
1/4 C fine sea salt
2 T dried sage
1/2 C chicken stock
1/4 C olive oil

In a small mixing bowl (or the marinating dish you’re about to use – it’s your kitchen, not mine), dissolve the salt in the and water and stir in thyme. Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish and pour the brine over the chicken. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oil and stock in a deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from brine and place directly into pan (normally I’d say rinse it off first, but in this case, the brined meat is being cooked in a liquid, so the salt will dissolve as it cooks and saves you seasoning it later). Cover and poach for 5 minutes. Flip the meat, cover and cook another 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook an additional few minutes until the temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Serve with vegetables and a nice whole grain like brown rice or quinoa (which technically isn’t a whole grain, just FYI). Drizzle with the juices and olive oil from the pan.

Ingredient Origins: Chicken – New Jersey; Sea Salt – Maine; Sage – Unknown; Chicken Stock – Colorado; Olive Oil – Italy