Thai Roasted Chicken Breasts

This is adapted from a Food & Wine article on Uncle's Boon's Thai Roast Chicken - it's delicious. It doesn't look like much here owing to the fact that I removed the skin. Skin-on it'd roast up nice and golden brown and have a lot more visual appeal.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 split chicken breasts, with ribs

1 T coriander seeds

1 T black peppercorns

8 cups water

6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1/3 cup turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/2 cup light coconut milk

2 limes, peeled (use a vegetable peeler to carefully remove just the green peel)

METHOD

Measure coriander and peppercorns into a 3 quart saucepan. Toast for 1 minute over medium flame. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add 4 cups of the water, sugar, salt, garlic, fish sauce and zest/peel from one lime and bring to a simmer. Cook until sugar and salt are dissolved. Allow to cool. Transfer to a large baking dish and add another 4 cups of water. Let cool to room temperature.

Remove the skin from the chicken breasts (or live dangerously - and near your cardiologist - and leave the skin on) and set them into the brine, tuning to coat and poking them all over with a skewer or fork to allow the brine to penetrate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove chicken from brine and set on a baking sheet covered with paper towels. Pat dry.

In a blender, combine the coconut milk and remaining lime peel. Pour over chicken breasts, turning to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165.

Serve with Coconut Rice.