Untested: Grilled Butterflied Lemon Chicken

By NicoleS

Many grilled butterflied chicken recipes result in scorched skin and leathery meat. For perfectly Grilled Butterflied Lemon Chicken, we baked all the coals on one side of the grill, placing the chicken opposite the coals and setting the lid on the grill. This allowed the fat under the chicken’s skin to render slowly without flare-ups, and the relatively gentle heat resulted in a moister bird. Placing the chicken on the grill skin side down reduced cooking time and allowed the most fat to render—a final sear directly over the dying coals at the end of our recipe crisped and browned the skin nicely. To finish the grilled butterflied chicken with intense lemon flavor, we caramelized lemon halves over the grill—which concentrated their flavor and tempered their acidity—and made a sauce from their juice.

Ingredients

• Chicken and Rub:
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon (reserve lemon for vinaigrette)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds ), butterflied
• Vinaigrette:
• 2 lemons, halved; plus halved, zested lemon from rub
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Details

Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. For the chicken and rub: Combine lemon zest, salt, and pepper in bowl. Rub zest mixture under chicken skin and tuck wings under. Transfer chicken to rack set over rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (Chicken may be prepared up to this point 24 hours in advance; allow chicken to sit at room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.)

2. Let grill heat up 5 minutes. Scrape grate clean.

3. Dip wad of paper towels in oil and oil grate, holding paper towels with long-handled tongs. Place lemon halves cut side down on grill. Place chickens skin-side down on grill. Place grill cover down.

4. Grill lemons until deep brown and caramelized, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Grill chickens until skin is well browned and breast meat registers 160 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes. Move chickens skin side up and grill until deep brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer.

5. For the vinaigrette: While chickens are grilling, squeeze 1/6 cup juice from grilled lemons into bowl. Using flat side of knife, mash garlic and salt into paste and add to bowl with lemon juice. Stir in mustard, sugar, pepper, and parsley, then slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified.


6. Transfer chickens to cutting board and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Carve, transfer to serving platter, and pour 1/6 cup vinaigrette over chicken. Serve, passing remaining vinaigrette at table.