The Publican Grilled Whole Chicken Recipes

PUBLICAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, Espelette pepper or hot paprika, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Flatten chicken and add to marinade, turning it until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
• Prepare a grill, arranging coals or gas flame so it is hot on only one side. Place chicken skin-side down on unheated side of grill (so it will cook by indirect heat). Grill, basting every 5 minutes and turning chicken once about halfway through, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced near joint of thigh, about 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken from grill and allow to rest 5 minutes. Carve as desired, and serve.

THE PUBLICAN GRILLED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Debone and pre-salt the chicken: First, stand the chicken up on its neck and cut down both sides of the backbone to remove it. Trim away the loose fat at the tail end. Make a slit at the breastplate, clear away the membranes on either side with your finger, and pop the breastplate out; remove it in one piece. Slice away the ribcage on both sides. Make a slit on either side of the thigh bone, tuck the knife underneath the bone, scrape the meat to the knee joint, pop the bone out and remove, as well as any cartilage remaining from the backbone.Repeat with other side. Finally, remove the wishbone. Tuck the wings under the chicken. Salt the chicken on both sides with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and refrigerate for 24 hours. (Reserve bones and trimmings for stock.)
• Marinade: Sprinkle remaining teaspoon of salt over coarsely chopped garlic on a cutting board. Chop together until the garlic is minced, then transfer to a bowl. Add black pepper, Espelette pepper, oregano, olive oil, and lemon juice; whisk to combine. Pour the marinade over the chicken and make sure the entire chicken is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Heat one side of your grill to medium-high, the other to medium-low. For a charcoal grill, use a chimney stuffed loosely with paper at the bottom; place the charcoal on top, and light the paper. Allow the coals to heat for about 20 minutes before pouring them onto one side of the grill. Replace the grill grate and allow it to heat up for 5 minutes.
• The grill should be very hot. Allow excess marinade to drip off the chicken; then, quickly and carefully place the chicken skin-side down over direct heat and allow to cook for several minutes. (If flames flare up, move the chicken away from the coals.) When the skin is golden and lightly charred, move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill. Keep the breasts furthest from the heat, as the leg and thighs take longer to cook. Cover the grill; control the temperature by using the vents on the lid and under the grill. They should both be open halfway. Continue cooking, 3-4 minutes.
• Check on the chicken and adjust placement as needed to control heat exposure; cover grill and continue cooking, 5-7 minutes. Once the skin is charred golden-brown, flip the chicken and finish cooking over indirect heat with the grill covered, about 10-12 minutes. The chicken is done when it registers 165 degrees F, or the juices from the drumstick run clear.
• Remove chicken from the grill. Rest the chicken prior to carving, 5-7 minutes. Carve the chicken: Cut each breast into two pieces, and separate the legs from the thighs. Arrange on a platter and dress with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving.

GRILLED WHOLE CHICKEN WITH BARBECUE SAUCE

Steps:

• Set up grill for indirect grilling. Rinse chicken inside and out and dry thoroughly. Generously season inside and out with coarse salt and ground pepper. Clean and lightly oil hot grates.
• Place chicken, breast side up, on opposite side of grill from heat. Cover and grill until cooked through, or a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours, rotating halfway through cooking (if using a charcoal grill, add a couple of handfuls of charcoal every half hour to maintain heat).
• About 15 minutes before chicken is done, brush with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Let chicken rest 20 minutes before carving.

THE PUBLICAN GRILLED WHOLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• STEP 1: Debone the roasting chicken, leaving the skin intact. (Note: a good butcher should be able to do this for you.) To do so, first stand the chicken up on its neck and cut out the backbone by cutting through on each side. Next, trim some of the loose fat. Pop out the breastplate by making a slit and pulling it out in one piece. Remove the rib cage, and then the thigh bones, and leg bones, removing any cartilage as well. Finally, remove the wishbone, and tuck the wings under the chicken. Salt the chicken with 2 tsp. Kosher salt and let rest, refrigerated for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. STEP 2: Combine the remaining ingredients into a mixing bowl, and mix well. Rub the chicken with 1/4 cup of the marinade. Reserve the remaining marinade for future use. (It stores well in the fridge or freezer, and can be used for more than just chicken.) Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. STEP 3: Heat one side of your grill to medium-high, the other to medium-low. If using a charcoal grill, use a chimney stuffed with paper in the bottom, and the charcoal on top, and let the coals heat for about 20 minutes in the grill before pouring the coals out into one side of the bottom of the grill. Let the grill grate heat up for several minutes. Char the chicken, skin-side down, over direct heat on the medium-high side for several minutes, until the chicken is golden and lightly charred. Move the chicken to the indirect heat side of the grill. Be sure to point the breast away from the heat, as the leg and thighs take longer to cook. STEP 4: Once golden and lightly charred (check every 3 to 4 minutes; it will take about 7 to 8 minutes total), flip the chicken and move to the medium-low side to finish over indirect heat, about 7 or 8 minutes. The chicken is done when it is golden brown and slightly charred, and registers 165 degrees. STEP 5: Remove the chicken from the grill. Rest the chicken 10 min. Squeeze with lemon juice and serve.