Italian-style Charcoal-Grilled
Chicken from American Test Kitchen
From the episode: The Italian
GrillServes 4
For the best flavor, use a high-quality chicken, such as Bell & Evans. Use an oven mitt or dish towel to safely grip and maneuver the hot bricks. If you’re using table salt, reduce the amount to 1½ teaspoons in step 2. You will need two standard-sized bricks for this recipe. Placing the bricks on the chicken while it cooks ensures that the skin will be evenly browned and well rendered—don’t skip this step. A cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan can be used in place of the bricks.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed
through garlic press (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon ,
plus 2 tablespoons juice
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt (see note)
- Ground black pepper
- 1 (3 3/4- to 4 1/4-pound) whole chicken (see
note)
- Vegetable oil for cooking grate
Instructions
- 1. Combine oil, garlic, lemon zest, and
pepper flakes in small saucepan. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently,
over medium-low heat, about 3 minutes. Once simmering, add 3 teaspoons
thyme and 2 teaspoons rosemary and cook 30 seconds longer. Strain mixture
through fine-mesh strainer set over small bowl, pushing on solids to
extract oil. Transfer solids to small bowl and cool; set oil and solids
aside.
- 2. Following illustrations below, butterfly
chicken, flatten breastbone, and tuck wings behind back. Using hands or
handle of wooden spoon, loosen skin over breast and thighs and remove any
excess fat. Combine 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in small bowl.
Mix 3 teaspoons salt mixture with cooled garlic solids. Spread salt-garlic
mixture evenly under skin over chicken breast and thighs. Sprinkle
remaining teaspoon salt mixture on exposed meat of bone side. Place
chicken skin-side up on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and
refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
- 3. Wrap 2 bricks tightly in aluminum foil.
Light large chimney starter filled three-quarters with charcoal (4½
quarts, or about 75 briquettes) and burn until coals are covered with
layer of fine gray ash, about 20 minutes. Build modified two-level fire by
arranging all coals over half of grill, leaving other half empty. Position
cooking grate over coals, place bricks on grate over coals, cover grill,
and heat about 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean with grill brush.
Lightly dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs,
wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when side with coals is medium-hot (you
can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 3 to 4 seconds).
- 4. Place chicken skin-side down over cooler
side of grill with legs facing fire, place hot bricks lengthwise over each
breast half, cover grill, and cook until skin is lightly browned and faint
grill marks appear, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove bricks from chicken. Using
tongs or towel, grip legs and flip chicken (chicken should release freely
from grill; use thin metal spatula to loosen if stuck) and transfer to hot
side of grill, skin-side up, with breast facing center of grill. Place
bricks over breast, cover grill, and cook until chicken is well browned,
12 to 15 minutes.
- 5. Remove bricks, flip chicken skin-side down
over hot coals, and cook until chicken skin is well crisped and
instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers
165 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes, moving chicken as necessary to prevent
flare-ups. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
Whisk lemon juice and remaining thyme and rosemary into reserved oil;
season with salt and pepper. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce
separately.
