• prep: 30 min
• cook: 0 hr
• total: 30 min

servings:

Cooking the chicken on the stove top beforehand takes all the guesswork out of grilling bone-in pieces. The brine, which does double duty as an overnight bath and a cooking liquid, infuses it with flavor and ensures it stays juicy. Recipe courtesy of Erin French, chef and owner of Lost Kitchen in Freedom, ME.

• 1/3 cup sugar
• Coarse salt
• 1/4 cup black peppercorns, crushed with a rolling pin, plus 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 1/4 cups packed fresh basil leaves, torn, plus sprigs for serving
• 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, or 1 whole chicken (4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• Safflower oil, for brushing
• Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for serving

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