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What a Week

It was an interesting week.

I cooked almost nothing.

I went out to eat four days in a row, which is odd even for me.

Thursday I had dinner at Alforno in Old Saybrook with two food writers—Pem McNerney and Priscilla Martel. We were supposed to be four, but Linda Guica, who is a co-owner of Alforno, had a bug and bailed.

Needless to say, dinner was delicious and was made even better when Ben Zemmel, Linda and Bob’s son, sat with us for a bit. We overheard another customer, at a nearby table, ask Ben to make pasta Amatriciana. Pem and I begged for it, too. We were glad we did. While we ate, Ben sat with us a bit more and told us some great stories. Ask him to tell you the story about the picture on the wall, of a guy playing percussion on a washboard next to a guy on trumpet with some guy named Bruce.

The next night I had dinner with the “cousins” at Sneekers in Groton. I call them cousins because they are cousins with each other but not with me. They call me their pretend cousin. I ordered steak with mashed potatoes and sautéed kale. I actually do like sautéed kale, as long as it has some herb or garlic notes. Saturday, friends and I went to the Red Hen in Old Saybrook (more about that on Nibbles). Sunday I drove to Somers to visit with three of my granddaughters, daughter-in-law, and her parents. We ate a lot of lobster.

What a week.

This week, I am cooking, and maybe baking. When I put my car in the garage last night, I took some chicken thighs, some hot sausage, and a package of hamburgers out of the freezer. I’m brining the chicken thighs. Then I will grill them.

Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.

Blueberry Tea-brined Chicken Thighs

From People magazine, April 2018

(my neighbor Sue gives me her old ones)

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 whole star anise

6 black peppercorns

2 cups, plus 2 quarts, water, divided

1 cup fresh blueberries

12 regular-sized black tea bags

3 tablespoons kosher salt*

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Stir together sugar, zest, star anise, peppercorns, and 2 cups water in a saucepan over medium; bring to a boil. Add blueberries and reduce heat to low. Cook and simmer 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Using a potato masher or back of a slotted spoon, mash blueberries into syrup. Pour through a fine wire mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids.

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high. Add tea bags and remove from heat. Cover and let stand 7 minutes; discard bags. Stir in blueberry syrup.

Combine salt and half of the tea mixture in a large bowl; stir until salt is dissolved. Add chicken thighs to salt-tea mixture; chill 4 hours or overnight. Chill remaining tea to drink later.

Preheat grill to medium high (400 to 450 degrees. Remove chicken from brine; discard liquid. Pat dry and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper and place chicken, skin side down, on oiled grill grates. Grill, covered, turning occasionally until thermometer registers 165 degrees when inserted and skin is browned and crispy, 20 to 22 minutes. Serve with blueberry tea.