K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
1 chicken split at the back (or remove the back if desired), laid flat, or split entirely in half, or use chicken pieces; leg/thigh joint separated*
3/4 c Molho de Piri-Piri
1/4 c lemon juice (I use lemon or calamondin juice)
ground piri-piris (optional)
salt
For serving (optional):
additional molho
a head of romaine, wilted outer leaves discarded if necessary, leaves washed, dried, chilled.
1-2 lemons
1/2 medium yellow onion (I like to use Vidalia)
1-2 large ripe tomatoes
Mix the molho and lemon juice together in a large Ziploc, add the chicken, and marinate in the fridge 3-5 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt and (optionally) as much ground piri-piri as you wish. Grill** till done. Rest 5-10 minutes. While resting, tear the romaine into 1 or 2-inch pieces and pile on a serving platter. Cut the tomatoes and lemons into eighths. Slice the onion into 1/4-inch rings. Cut the chicken coarsely into pieces; place on top of the romaine; scatter the tomatoes, lemons, and onion rings; serve with additional molho on the side.
* if doing butterflied chicken, halves, or leg quarters I prepare the chicken much as I would for jerk: I make 2 slashes into each leg and thigh, cutting through the skin and into the meat—probably about halfway to the bone. This allows for better marinade penetration. I work a finger between the skin and meat at the slash points to separate the skin. At the thigh slash that’s closest to the breast I’ll work a finger under the skin over the breast, separating it well but not completely.
** the last time I made this—last night, actually—I used chicken halves. I used my WSM because it’ll hold more than the kettle but I didn’t use as much lump as I’d planned and as I usually do (the chardonnay that we started pouring freely just after noon might have had something to do with this). Subsequently I did not get the heat I was after (I opted not to light more and add it), so the cook took longer. The skin was not as I like it—we ate it anyway, good flavor—but the meat was moist and delicious. I served it with garlicky collard greens and pomegranate basmati rice.
High-oil marinades work well on a kettle where you can play with skin-up/skin-down, direct/indirect heat for skin texture. I also like a brick approach, taking a butterflied chicken and putting it skin-down on a hot grate over spread-out moderate coals, with two foil-wrapped bricks to weigh it down. Cover the grill to minimize flare-ups, though you need to keep an eye out for any major ones. I find 15-20 minutes gets the skin well on its way toward the texture I’m looking for. Flip skin-up and continue cooking without the bricks till done or flip over near the end, if needed for further skin finishing.
3/4 c Molho de Piri-Piri
1/4 c lemon juice (I use lemon or calamondin juice)
ground piri-piris (optional)
salt
For serving (optional):
additional molho
a head of romaine, wilted outer leaves discarded if necessary, leaves washed, dried, chilled.
1-2 lemons
1/2 medium yellow onion (I like to use Vidalia)
1-2 large ripe tomatoes
Mix the molho and lemon juice together in a large Ziploc, add the chicken, and marinate in the fridge 3-5 hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt and (optionally) as much ground piri-piri as you wish. Grill** till done. Rest 5-10 minutes. While resting, tear the romaine into 1 or 2-inch pieces and pile on a serving platter. Cut the tomatoes and lemons into eighths. Slice the onion into 1/4-inch rings. Cut the chicken coarsely into pieces; place on top of the romaine; scatter the tomatoes, lemons, and onion rings; serve with additional molho on the side.
* if doing butterflied chicken, halves, or leg quarters I prepare the chicken much as I would for jerk: I make 2 slashes into each leg and thigh, cutting through the skin and into the meat—probably about halfway to the bone. This allows for better marinade penetration. I work a finger between the skin and meat at the slash points to separate the skin. At the thigh slash that’s closest to the breast I’ll work a finger under the skin over the breast, separating it well but not completely.
** the last time I made this—last night, actually—I used chicken halves. I used my WSM because it’ll hold more than the kettle but I didn’t use as much lump as I’d planned and as I usually do (the chardonnay that we started pouring freely just after noon might have had something to do with this). Subsequently I did not get the heat I was after (I opted not to light more and add it), so the cook took longer. The skin was not as I like it—we ate it anyway, good flavor—but the meat was moist and delicious. I served it with garlicky collard greens and pomegranate basmati rice.
High-oil marinades work well on a kettle where you can play with skin-up/skin-down, direct/indirect heat for skin texture. I also like a brick approach, taking a butterflied chicken and putting it skin-down on a hot grate over spread-out moderate coals, with two foil-wrapped bricks to weigh it down. Cover the grill to minimize flare-ups, though you need to keep an eye out for any major ones. I find 15-20 minutes gets the skin well on its way toward the texture I’m looking for. Flip skin-up and continue cooking without the bricks till done or flip over near the end, if needed for further skin finishing.