Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (220 page)
SERVES 6 TO 8
If using kosher chicken, do not brine in step 1. Two medium wood chunks, soaked in water for 1 hour, can be substituted for the wood chip packet on a charcoal grill.
1 | cup salt |
1 | cup sugar |
6 | pounds bone-in chicken parts (breasts, thighs, and/or drumsticks), trimmed |
3 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
Pepper | |
3 | cups wood chips, 1¹⁄ |
1 | (16 by 12-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal) or disposable aluminum pie plate (if using gas) |
1.
Dissolve salt and sugar in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chicken pieces in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Brush chicken evenly with oil and season with pepper.
2.
Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top. Repeat with another sheet of foil and unsoaked wood chips.
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Open bottom vent halfway. Arrange 2 quarts unlit charcoal banked against 1 side of grill and disposable pan filled with 2 cups water on empty side of grill. Light large chimney starter half filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour on top of unlit charcoal, to cover one-third of grill with coals steeply banked against side of grill. Place wood chip packets on top of coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips begin to smoke, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL:
Place wood chip packets directly on primary burner. Place disposable pie plate filled with 2 cups water on other burner(s). Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips begin to smoke, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium-high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature around 325 degrees.)
4.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken on cool side of grill, skin side up, as far away from heat as possible with thighs closest to heat and breasts furthest away. Cover (positioning lid vents over chicken if using charcoal) and cook until breasts register 160 degrees and thighs/drumsticks register 175 degrees, 1¹⁄
4
to 1¹⁄
2
hours.
5.
Transfer chicken to serving platter, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Most lemon chicken tastes sparsely of lemon (if at all) and the meat is often tough and dry. We wanted grilled chicken with bright lemon flavor that went straight to the bone—yet still came off the grill moist and juicy. To achieve our goal, we grilled the chicken until it was nearly done, pulling it off the grill to dip it in a lemon sauce flavored with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and thyme, returning it to the grill over low heat for about five more minutes, and then dipping it in reserved lemon sauce once more before serving.
SERVES 6 TO 8
If using kosher chicken, do not brine in step 1. If you have it, 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary makes a nice addition to the lemon sauce.
³⁄ | cup salt |
2 | (3¹⁄ |
Pepper | |
¹⁄ | cup extra-virgin olive oil |
6 | garlic cloves, minced into paste |
1 | cup lemon juice (6 lemons) |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1¹⁄ |
1.
Dissolve salt in 3 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken with pepper.
2A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour two-thirds coals evenly over grill, then pour remaining coals over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
2B. FOR A GAS GRILL:
Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes.
3.
While grill heats, heat oil and garlic in small saucepan over low heat until garlic sizzles, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Transfer half of mixture to small bowl and set aside. Transfer remaining half of mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
4.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken on grill (hotter side if using charcoal), skin side down. Cook (covered if using gas) until well browned on both sides, 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Stir thyme into lemon juice mixture in baking dish, then place chicken pieces in baking dish and turn to coat.
5.
Return chicken pieces to cooler side of grill (if using charcoal), skin side up, or turn burners to medium-low (if using gas). Continue to cook (covered if using gas) until breasts register 160 degrees and thighs/drumsticks register 175 degrees, about 5 minutes longer, brushing with reserved lemon mixture twice.
6.
Transfer chicken to serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
An equal amount of toasted and crushed cumin seeds may be substituted for the coriander seeds.
Add 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño chiles and 2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds with garlic. Substitute 1 cup lime juice (10 limes) for lemon juice and 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro for thyme.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Many people avoid grilling whole chickens because the exterior of the bird chars before the interior cooks through. We wanted to find a way to grill a chicken that would produce tender, juicy meat with deeply smoky flavor and crisp mahogany skin. For well-seasoned meat that wouldn’t dry out, we brined the chicken and then, for more flavor, we coated the chicken with an aromatic spice rub. We arranged the coals on either side of the grill with a roasting pan in the middle. We cooked the chicken in the middle of the grill over the roasting pan where it wouldn’t burn, but would receive ample heat from both piles of coals. For a gas grill, a medium fire worked well. And for maximum smoky flavor, we used wood chips.
SERVES 4
If using kosher chicken, do not brine in step 1. When using a charcoal grill, we prefer wood chunks to wood chips whenever possible; substitute 4 medium wood chunks, soaked in water for 1 hour, for the wood chip packets.
¹⁄ | cup salt |
1 | (3¹⁄ |
3 | tablespoons spice rub (recipes follow) |
2 | cups wood chips, soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained |
1 | (16 by 12-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal) |
1.
Dissolve salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken evenly, inside and out, with spice rub, lifting up skin over breast and rubbing spice rub directly onto meat.
2.
Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in foil packet and cut several vent holes in top.
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Open bottom vent halfway and place roasting pan in center of grill. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into 2 even piles on either side of roasting pan. Place 1 wood chip packet on each pile of coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL:
Place wood chip packets directly on primary burner. Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium. (Adjust burners as needed to maintain grill temperature around 325 degrees.)
4.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken on center of grill (over roasting pan if using charcoal), breast side down, cover (position lid vent over meat if using charcoal), and cook for 30 minutes.
5.
Working quickly, remove lid and, using 2 large wads of paper towels, turn chicken breast side up. Cover and continue to cook until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 25 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.
MAKES ABOUT
¹⁄
2
CUP
Store leftover spice rub in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
2 | tablespoons ground cumin |
2 | tablespoons curry powder |
2 | tablespoons chili powder |
1 | tablespoon ground allspice |
1 | tablespoon pepper |
1 | teaspoon ground cinnamon |
Combine all ingredients in bowl.
MAKES ABOUT 3 TABLESPOONS, ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
GRILL-ROASTED WHOLE CHICKEN
For more heat, add up to ¹⁄
2
teaspoon cayenne pepper.
1 | tablespoon minced fresh cilantro |
1 | tablespoon orange juice |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons lime juice |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 | small garlic clove, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground cumin |
¹⁄ | teaspoon chili powder |
¹⁄ | teaspoon paprika |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground coriander |
Combine all ingredients in bowl. Use immediately.
If you like, barbecue sauce can be used along with the spice rub. Wait until the bird is almost done to brush on the barbecue sauce, so that it does not scorch. See our Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows) or use your favorite.
After rotating chicken breast side up in step 5, cook until thighs register 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Working quickly, remove lid and brush outside and inside of chicken with ¹⁄
2
cup barbecue sauce. Cover and continue to cook until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Serve, passing additional barbecue sauce separately.
