SIMPLE BRINE FOR CHICKEN RECIPES

Steps:

• If wet brining: Fill an appropriate-sized bowl with water and add the salt.  Using a spoon (or your hand, like I do), stir the salt in til it's mostly dissolved.  Make sure your chicken breasts are roughly even thickness (helps with the grilling or baking), then put them in the water. Once you're ready to cook them, pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  
• For dry brining: Get a plate out and grind or sprinkle salt across it.  Place the chicken breasts (or tenderloins or whatever) on the salt and press down, then sprinkle or grind more salt on the top side as well.  Let rest for at least 15 minutes, though I've let it go more like 45 accidentally and it's fine.  You can also let it rest uncovered in the fridge overnight as well, particularly if you're cooking skin-on chicken and want crispy skin.
• From here, it depends on how you're planning to use the chicken.  You can season, bake, grill, saute, whatever.  If you're grilling, put them on a plate and coat them with some olive oil, then sprinkle or pat on whichever spices or rub you're using.  
• Grill on medium (350-450 F on my gas grill) for 3-4 minutes on each side, and then start checking with a digital thermometer.  Chicken breasts need to be between 145 F and 165 F...I go more like 150F to be safe, but if you're really paranoid you can go higher.  Let them sit for 5 minutes or so on a plate before cutting in, to let the juices settle and keep them moist.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Put the almonds into a food processor and pulse to rough crumbs. Peel and add the garlic, add the balsamic and capers, the anchovies and a splash of their oil, then tear in the top leafy half of the parsley and pulse until fairly fine. Open the chicken thighs out on to a board, smooth side down, and pound with your fist or a rolling pin until flattened and tenderized. Divide the stuffing between them and roll up, wrapping each thigh in a slice of prosciutto. Double skewer 5 thighs across two long metal skewers, then repeat. Peel the potatoes and slice 1cm thick, then parboil in a large pan of boiling salted water for 6 minutes. Prick each tomato with the tip of a sharp knife and add to the pan for the last 40 seconds, then drain it all. Once cool enough to handle, pinch the skins off the tomatoes. Layer the potatoes in a large, sturdy baking dish, seasoning with sea salt and black pepper, and drizzling lightly with olive oil as you go, then scatter over the tomatoes. Nestle the skewers on top so that all the tasty juices drip down over the potatoes as they cook. Roast for 30 minutes. Dip the bunch of thyme in olive oil, then use it as a brush to baste the chicken and potatoes with the pan juices. Sprinkle the thyme sprigs over the dish and return to the oven for a final glorious 10 minutes. Slice between the skewers, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, to serve. If you like your potatoes super-crisp, pop them back into the oven for an extra 10 minutes at the end.