Eastern Shore Bbq Chicken Recipes

THE ULTIMATE BARBECUED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme. Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving along side the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the legs.
• Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
• Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes. Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. Serve with extra sauce.

BBQ RUB-ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a bowl large enough to fit the chicken, combine the water, lemon juice and halves, salt, and sugar. Whisk until salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the chicken to the bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. If the brine does not fully cover the chicken, rotate the chicken halfway through the brining process. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl add half of the BBQ Rub and the butter. Mix until well combined. Refrigerate for a few minutes if the butter begins to melt after mixing. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Use your fingers to gently release the skin from the flesh of the breasts and legs. Spread the butter mixture evenly under the skin and over the breast and legs. Pat the remaining BBQ rub mixture all over the bird. Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack and bake until golden and the juices run clear, basting frequently, for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Baste the chicken thoroughly with the drippings in pan, return to the oven, and let bake until the skin is brown and crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Carve the meat and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with Lemon and Walnut Waffles, if desired.
• Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
• In a large bowl sift to combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and salt. In small bowl whisk the egg yolks until smooth, then add the milk, vegetable oil, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the liquid ingredients and gently stir the batter, with a wooden spoon, until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. You can use a hand beater or a stand mixer on low speed, if desired.
• In a very clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the remaining sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the batter. Pour about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup batter into an oiled waffle iron, sprinkle with walnuts, then close the iron. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes, depending on waffle iron settings. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with maple syrup.

GRILLED BUTTERMILK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the buttermilk, thyme, garlic and salt in a large bowl or shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally., Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Grill, covered, over medium heat until a thermometer reads 165°, 5-7 minutes per side.

VIRGINIA BARBECUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients, except chicken. (I've found a hand blender helps keep it from separating as much.)
• Use a small amount to marinade about 5-10 chicken halves or 12-20 drumsticks for a couple hours or over night.
• Grill over very medium coals until pieces test done, basting often.
• It works best if you use a grilling pit and allow it to slow cook for a couple hours.

EASTERN SHORE BBQ CHICKEN

Steps:

• Blend, taste, and add more seasonings if you like (I would add more pepper and hot sauce). Use 1/2 of this mixture to marinate the chicken, 1/4 to baste while cooking, and 1/4 for a final baste and to serve alongside the chicken. You'll want to keep this last 1/4 of the marinade apart from the rest so it doesn't get contaminated by raw chicken juices. I can't vouch for these measurements because when I made the chicken, I just dumped ingredients together until it looked right to me. Grill chicken halves, turning frequently and basting with sauce at least six times. Dab on more sauce just before removing the chicken from the grill and again just before serving. Serve basting sauce on the side with the chicken.