Icarus's blog: "Hope- by any other name."

Ladies and gentlemen, I have discovered something wonderful

and it is so god damn simple.

Sweet tea brined fried chicken.

Now this is not a big deal people do buttermilk all the time. Wait, it totally is a big deal. I used a mango tea and irish breakfast and a couple tablespoons of sugar. Two days later I dredged in a eggwhite and breadcrumb mixture, fried it at 375 and had a bite of it after cooling.

I about needed to change pants. It picked up every single molecule of flavor in that brine.

Problem is... I'm still pretty bad at getting fried chicken cooked all the way through, it was probably only 85% done. Hope I don't get sick. But that has nothing to do with the flavors- just my lack of technique with invisible meat. Too many variables, I need a thermometer

The next thing... get a celery root, keep that oil boiling- get your favorite vegetable slicer. Slice thin strips of the celery root and add to the oil, remove when they start to curl and get a lil stiffness, repeat this process with your favorite firm veggies, y'know like potatoes, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Add salt as necessary. The celery root chips rocks. Also if your root came with sprouts on top

KEEP THEM! The stalks might be dark and narrow but they have the most flavor I've ever experienced in celery ... they actually have a flavor.

Now... who wants homemade potato chips?

---First Brine (Sweet)

2 bags of green/mango tea. 1 bag of irish tea (black tea) boiled in about a pint and 1/2 of water

2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of dry oregano

----Next brine (Dark)

4 cloves of garlic crushed minced

3 bags of black tea, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of ground pepper, 1 tablespoon of kayene pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt

and yes, I'm seriously considering the use of coffee and vinegar in upcoming versions.