Grilled Chicken

From the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Serves

Introduction

We don’t use the word barbecued in this recipe since it actually refers to very slow-smoked, naturally chewy cuts of meat such as pork back ribs. The chicken is grilled after the ribs are removed from the grill and fuel is added to create a hotter fire. Unadorned grilled chicken can be world-class food on its own, but a little bottled barbecue sauce brushed on during the final minutes of cooking contributes an appealing tangy sweetness. Be sure that the barbecue sauce, which usually contains sugar, is brushed on the chicken near the end of cooking so that the sugar does not burn.

Ingredients

	2	frying chickens (2½ to 3½ pounds each), cut into individual portions (leg, thigh, wing, half breast)
	~	Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
	1	(28 oz.) bottle barbecue sauce (optional)

Steps

Build a direct fire in a large, kettle-style charcoal grill (see About Grilling). Place chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. When coals are covered in a gray ash, spread them evenly under cooking grate. Place chicken on grill and cover with lid. Lid vents should be open. (If using a gas grill, set heat on medium or low.) Turn chicken every 10 minutes, closing lid vents if fire flares up. Cook chicken until thigh juices run clear rather than rosy when pierced with tip of a small knife, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 170°F, about 25 minutes. During final 5 to 10 minutes of cooking, brush barbecue sauce on chicken, if desired.

Notes

If you have already cooked something on the grill over low heat and the fire is still burning, spread coals directly under cooking grate and add about 12 briquettes. When they are covered in a gray ash, begin cooking.
If you prefer skinless chicken, remove skin from chicken parts before grilling. Brush with 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil to moisten meat, then season with salt and pepper.
To cook chicken in a conventional oven, preheat oven to 375°F and place chicken on rack in a baking pan lined with aluminum foil to ease cleanup. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 170°F, about 30 minutes.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.