Sweet-Tea Brined Chicken Breasts & Corn Bread

I have a whole cookbook involving tea and food. That is what intrigued me about this recipe in Fine Cooking. It was so good and Jim could not dry it out on the grille. Buy the way, speaking of the grill. Jim screwed around for months and finally called the Viking repair to get it fixed. Of course too late for Sunday’s going away party, but what else is new.

Ingredients

• 5 oz. koshere salt
• 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 C strong freshly brewed black tea, cooled
• 1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 2 C ice cubes
• 1 lemon sliced
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• Olive oil for grilling Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 C finely ground yellow cornmeal
• 1 C unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 C granulated sugar
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t table salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
• 1 C full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• 4 oz (1/2 C) unsalted butter, melted
• Use butter or baking spray for the pan

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, bring 2 C water, salt, sugar, and cinnamon stick to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the slat and sugar. Let cool to warm. Stir in the tea, lemonade concentrate, ice cubes, and lemon slices. Let the line cool.
2. Put the chicken in the brine and soak for 15-20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire.
4. Remove the chicken from the brine, pat dry with paper towels, lightly coat with oil and sprinkle with a little black pepper.
5. Grill the chicken without moving it until grill marks form, 4-6 minutes. Flip and grill until just cooked through, 4-6 minutes more.
6. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.
7. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 DF.
8. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt
9. Fold in the eggs and sour cream with a silicone spatula until just combined.
10. fold in the butter a little bit at a time until just combined.
11. Grease a 8†X 8†baking pan.
12. Pour the batter into the pan, spread evenly with a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, and bake until the top is just starting to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
13. Cool on a rack until room temperature, about 20 minutes, then invert onto a plate, and serve.