CookTeaser

A CookTale

For me to rave about a Chicken means that it had to be extra special. What made it so was the quality of the farm fresh bird and the great marinade that spent six hours in the fridge working its wonders. The recipe came from the June/July 2013 issue of Saveur, one of my most favorite food magazines. The Chicken was attributable to our always dependable Smokehouse of the Catskills. A winning combination.

INGREDIENTS

1 Lemon thinly sliced, plus juice
The zest of 2 Lemons
1/2 cup of EVOO
2 TBs of dried Oregano
2 TB of Spanish Smoked Paprika
2 tsp of Ground Cumin
2 tsp of Allspice
10 Garlic cloves or to taste
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper to taste
A 3 to 4 LB Chicken

METHOD

1 Remove the Chicken’s backbone & flatten the Chicken.
Loosen the breast skin & slide the sliced Lemons under the skin.

2. Transfer to a 9″ X 13″ baking dish. Puree the first 8 ingredients in a food processor or blender to form a paste. Rub the paste over the Chicken. Cover & refridge for at least six hours or overnight.

3. Heat a stove top non stick grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoaL grill until very hot. Place the Chicken skin side down & cover with two bricks wrapped in foil or a commercial grill press. Grill for ten minutes. If using an indoor grill pan, turn the Chicken over & place in an oven heated to 350 degrees, for about 15 minutes.

4. If outdoor grilling be sure to keep an eye on the bird, it can quickly overcook and be dried out. An instant thermometer reading should be around 135 degrees F.
Remember it will continue to cook while resting.

5. For indoor grilling, an instant thermometer into the breast meat should also read about 135 degree F, for a juicy bird. Remember it will continue to cook while resting.