Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [93]
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
A vertical roaster, a heavy wire armature that looks like a candlestick without the candle, does the same thing as a can of beer, only without the beer. It has the added advantage of being able to support chickens of various sizes, from 1 to 5 pounds, and it is easier to remove from the hot bird when it comes off the grill. Other than that, everything we’ve said about grill-roasting poultry on a beer can applies to this method.
INGREDIENTS:
1 chicken (about 4 pounds), washed and patted dry
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons Mustard-Wasabi Rub
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
½ cup dark molasses
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared wasabi
DIRECTIONS:
Rub the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the oil and dust all over with the rub. Coat a vertical roaster with the remaining teaspoon oil, and set on a sheet pan. Set the chicken on the roaster and set aside for 20 minutes.
Light a grill for indirect medium-high heat, about 350°F.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Place the chicken on the vertical roaster on the grill away from the heat. Close the lid and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the inside of a thigh registers 165°F, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Meanwhile mix together the mustard, molasses, vinegar, and wasabi. Baste the chicken with this sauce 3 or 4 times, grilling for about 10 more minutes.
Remove to a cutting board and let the chicken rest on the roaster for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken from the roaster and let rest for another 5 minutes. Cut into serving pieces and serve immediately.
BUTTERFLIED WHOLE CHICKEN
Lemon-Espresso Spatchcocked Chicken
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
“Spatchcock” is an old word (dating from the 1700s), which is derived from an earlier term, spitchchock, which means to split an eel lengthwise and grill it. The same technique is now applied to birds, specifically young chickens. All you do is cut along either side of the chicken’s backbone (poultry shears work the best), remove it, and pull the chicken open like a book. Spatchcocking allows you to grill with direct heat and gives a whole chicken the same dimensions as a large steak. The technique is also called “butterflying,” which sounds a little more polite, but it’s not nearly as fun as saying “spatchcocking.”
INGREDIENTS:
1 chicken (about 4 pounds), washed and patted dry and spatchcocked (see Know-How, below)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup Espresso Rub
1½ cups Espresso Grilling Sauce, made with lemon juice
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for direct medium heat, about 375°F.
Rub the chicken all over with oil and rub, concentrating on the skinless side.
Brush and oil the grill grate and place the chicken, skin-side down, on the grate. Grill for about 15 minutes and turn with a spatula and/or tongs. Grill for about 15 minutes more, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the inside of a thigh registers 165°F.
Baste the chicken with ¼ cup of the grilling sauce, cook for a few minutes to brown, turn the chicken, and repeat, basting with another ¼ cup sauce.
If you like, coat the lemon wedges with oil and grill briefly. Serve the chicken with the lemon and the remaining 1 cup sauce on the side.
KNOW-HOW: SPATCHCOCKING A CHICKEN
To spatchcock the chicken place it, breast side down, on a cutting board. Cut along either side of the backbone with poultry shears or a knife with a thin, sharp blade. Remove the backbone. Open the chicken like a book. Run a small knife on either side of the breastbone and slide your thumb in the slit to loosen the sternum (the center of the breastbone) and the white cartilage attached to it. Remove the loosened bone and cartilage. Flatten the chicken gently with your hands. Fold the wing tips back until they are tucked behind the shoulders, which will lock them flat. With a small knife, make a slit (about 1 inch long) through one side of the apron of skin at the rear of the chicken. Reach under the bird and slide the end of the drumstick through