Darbars Awesome Brined Rotisserie Chicken |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This recipe is a fantastic way to roast a chicken! It's so juicy and moist, even after 2 hours of roasting on the grill. It is best with a free-range chicken. I get mine from a farmer who raises them and sells them at the local farmer's market. Read more . They cost more, but are well worth it! Note: Prep time does not include brine marinade time. Ingredients:
brine marinade |
1 gallon cool water |
1 quart 100% apple juice |
1/2 cup kosher salt |
1/2 cup brown sugar |
2 tbsp. minced garlic (or 8 cloves crushed garlic) |
1 tbsp. black pepper |
10 juniper berries, crushed |
1 tsp. allspice |
2 tbsp. dried thyme |
2 bay leaves, broken up into little pieces |
the bird |
1 6-1/2 to 7 lb. free-range roaster chicken, unfrozen or mostly so |
1 apple, cored and cut into 6 wedges |
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges |
4 cloves garlic, skinned and smashed |
2 shallots, chopped into several pieces |
a gas or charcoal grill with a rotisserie attachment. |
Directions:
1. In a large bowl or pot, add the water, brown sugar and salt. Stir vigorously until absorbed. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Rinse the chicken, remove anything from the cavities. Put a 2-1/2 gallon Ziplock plastic bag into a large pot, bowl or bucket. Put the chicken in the bag with the large cavity facing up. Pour the brine marinade into the chicken and the bag until the bag is full and the chicken is completely covered. Zip up the bag, squeezing as much air out of it as you can. Refrigerate for 20-24 hours. Believe me, you don't want to skip or shorten the brine/marinade time, it's well worth it!
2. Pre-heat your grill (10-20 minutes)
3. Remove the chicken from the brine marinade and dispose of the liquid. Rinse the chicken a couple of times, inside and out.. Chop up the apple, shallots, lemon and smash the garlic. Insert them into the opening. Tie up the bird securely with kitchen string, making sure that the wings and legs are not going to come loose, and the cavity is closed up sufficiently.
4. Push the rotisserie through the chicken, making sure to keep it centered so that the weight is distributed evenly. It may take a couple tries. Roll it around on your hands to see if it seems balanced.
5. Place a pan with some water in it under the area where the chicken will be turning. You want the pan to be slightly larger than the outline of the chicken to prevent flare-ups and protect the chicken from the direct heat.
6. Place the chicken and rotisserie on the grill, start the rotisserie motor and turn the burners to low (on a charcoal grill, keep the coals on either side of the chicken for indirect heat) Ideally, you want to maintain a 325-350 degree temp throughout. If the water in the pan dries up, add a little at a time. Cook for approximately 2 hours, until the thigh temperature is around 165-170 degrees, or approximately 20 minutes per pound.
7. The skin will look glazed and brown nicely, due to the brown sugar. When the chicken is done, remove it from the grill and let it rest, covered with foil for about 15-20 minutes while you prepare your side dishes. Carve and serve.
8. I like to serve it with mashed Yukon Gold & buttermilk potatoes, steamed asparagus or corn and gravy made from the drippings, chicken broth and Wondra. Follow these instructions exactly and it will be the most amazing, tasty, moist and juicy chicken you've ever had!
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