The college cook-off

Blood Orange-Brined Chicken Breasts with Vinaigrette
Silliman College’s prize-winning recipe, tweaked for the home chef
By Hallie Meyer ’16

Four chicken breasts, skin on, no bone

Brine:
1 gallon water
1/2 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons pink peppercorns
Rinds of 5 blood oranges (save the meat and juice for the vinaigrette)
3 bay leaves

1. Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a mallet or heavy skillet, pound chicken until it is ½ inch thick (will help it cook evenly and stay juicy). Cover chicken with brine in a large, shallow container, making sure each piece is submerged. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, and up to 48 hours—the longer the better.
2. When you're ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. In a large cast-iron (or any other ovenproof) skillet, heat a shallow layer of olive oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken, skin side down. Do not move chicken for at least 6 minutes. Oil will sputter, but the high heat is necessary for color and crisp skin. Flip chicken and transfer skillet to the oven for 4 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove skillet from oven and allow chicken to rest for at least 1 minute.
4. To plate, slice on the diagonal and top with warm blood orange vinaigrette. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Vinaigrette:
Makes enough warm vinaigrette to serve over 5 plates.
1/2 lb unsalted butter
Juice of 4 blood oranges
Segments from 1 blood orange
Juice of half a lemon
Salt to taste
Handful of finely chopped parsely

1. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, until it begins to brown and smell nutty, 5 minutes. Scrape brown bits off the bottom of the pan as butter melts.
2. Turn heat to low and add the blood orange juice, stirring vigorously for 1 minute until the vinaigrette is a uniform color.
3. Remove from heat. Add salt, lemon juice, parsley, and blood orange segments. Serve warm, spooned over poultry, meat, fish, or hearty vegetables.