RECIPES: Grilled chicken can be glorious over the coals

Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken With Honey, Chile and Lemon (The New York Times/Andrew Purcell)
Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken With Honey, Chile and Lemon (The New York Times/Andrew Purcell)

Grilled chicken is ubiquitous but rarely sublime.

It's not our fault: The window between raw and dry, pale and burned, is unfairly narrow, and somehow it's also possible for grilled chicken to be raw and burned at the same time.

On the stove or in the oven, chicken lets us be lazy. Last-minute seasoning, a knob of butter and half a lemon make all cuts delicious. Dry meat only needs a little more cooking and liquid added to the pan to become fall-off-the-bone tender — a different but equally satisfying direction.

Grilled chicken is trickier. Cooked over the direct heat of coals, without easy temperature control, it requires us to be more agile.

Still, the challenge of charred yet juicy chicken beckons. When I succeed, attaining succulent meat with a golden, fire-freckled crust, I forget my allegiance to the roast. Here are the basic principles I keep in mind as I cook.

▩ Basic butchery should be your starting point.

I even out the thickness of the chicken, so it's less likely that some parts will parch while others cook. Boneless breasts are best when leveled with a rolling pin. For whole chickens, dense with breast and bone, I spatchcock, flatten and slash the meat for heat to penetrate uniformly. (Similar to butterflying, spatchcocking means removing the backbone and opening the chicken up like a book.) Slashing provides bonus "Is it done?" peepholes at the stubborn areas by the joints.

▩ Seasoning in advance is often your ally.

Salting bigger cuts — generously and ahead of time — locks in moisture and drags flavor to the bone. But thinner, quick-cooking cuts cure with the same treatment: A butterflied breast will become jerky with too much salt and time. Recently, I've developed a "stop, drop and season" protocol for any whole birds as I move them from shopping bag to refrigerator. I can apply a marinade later when I've planned the meal.

▩ Temper the chicken before cooking.

A small step for a big advantage: A bird that has been allowed to come to room temperature will cook through faster and more evenly than a cold one. I take my chicken out of the refrigerator before I scrub my grate and light my coals.

▩ Match the cut of the bird to the temperature of the grill.

This is essential, and missing this nuance is a common error cooks make. Thin cuts like it hot so they can char before they become dry; thick cuts prefer it low and slow so they can cook through and brown evenly. A grill with both a hot spot and a cooler area makes it easier to balance surface char and internal cooking.

▩ Don't fiddle at first.

A smoky, richly flavored crust is the very reason we grill, and allowing it to form requires initial restraint. The chicken's first contact with the clean grill determines the quality of the crust or char: Tug the meat too soon and you'll leave its flavorful crust behind and dirty the grates, sullying subsequent attempts. Instead, I fulfill an urge to snoop by lifting the entire grate, which allows me to preview my chicken from below. Once a crust has formed, the chicken will readily release and can be flipped with impunity.

▩ Trust your intuition, but confirm with a thermometer.

So when is it cooked? My tongs, my choice. Char has misled many friends at my barbecues to a consensus: "The chicken is cooked!" But it's not a poll.

In order to catch the bird when it is just cooked, I poke it with my forefinger regularly, waiting for flab to firm. When it feels like a ripe peach, I use the tip of a knife to do a sharp, close inspection of thigh joints and breasts by the bone: Clear juices, opaque meat and the temperature of the knife tip (it should be hot) tell me the chicken is ready. Herb cosmetics can cover my trail.

Chicken is done when a thermometer reads 165 degrees when it is inserted into the thickest part of the bird. Most skewers and boneless cuts cook in the time it takes for them to develop a come-hither char; there's no need to check their temperature.

▩ Rest the chicken with conviction.

Do this for at least a quarter of the time it spent on the grill, requiring you to swat away the sticky fingers of friends. Some of the juices will run out as the bird sits, so I rest mine on bread or beans to save every drop.

This recipe fulfills the fantasy of grilled chicken that is juicy and charred. A low-temperature grill and attentive flipping are essential to cooking the bird through without singeing the outside. Pay close attention to the skin during the first few minutes of cooking to make sure the grill isn't too hot, then turn and baste regularly to cultivate bronzed, savory-sweet skin.

Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken With Honey, Chile and Lemon

For the chicken:

1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) chicken

2 tablespoons sea salt

4 lemons, divided use

5 tablespoons clear, runny honey

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried Calabrian chile flakes or red-pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

For the chickpeas:

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons fresh oregano or marjoram leaves

½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed

Twelve to 24 hours before cooking, spatchcock and season the chicken: Remove the spindly wing tips by cutting through the first wing joint with heavy-duty kitchen scissors. Lay the chicken breast side down. Using the scissors again, snip along both sides of the spine to remove it. (Reserve or freeze the spine for stock.) Open up the chicken and flip it over, placing it breast up and with the legs toward you on your cutting board. With one palm on top of the other in the center of the breast, press down until you feel the cartilage crack and the bird lies flat.

Use the tip of a sharp knife to make three parallel slices in each breast, then three in each leg; each incision should go down to the bone and be about 3 inches long. Rub the sea salt all over, including in the incisions, seasoning more heavily on the underside of the bird.

In a small bowl, mix the juice of 2 ½ lemons with the honey, oregano, chile flakes and pepper. Pour 5 tablespoons of this marinade over the chicken and refrigerate the remaining marinade for grilling.

Trim the ends of the ½ lemon, then slice it into 12 very thin half-moons and remove any seeds. Tuck the lemon slices into each of the incisions on the chicken, sliding the cut side in and leaving the peel exposed.

Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, breast side up, and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 or up to 24 hours.

Two hours before cooking the chicken, take it out of the fridge to come to room temperature.

Prepare the grill: Clean the grate thoroughly and light the coals. The bird should cook over low, indirect heat. The coals are ready when they're gray and dusty, rather than glowing red.

Place the bird on the grill, breast side down, discarding any liquid left behind. Watch your chicken like a hawk for the first few minutes and flip the bird if the skin starts to char. When the chicken is lightly colored, or after 10 minutes, flip it over and baste with the reserved marinade. Close the lid on the grill and cook for 40 to 50 minutes more, flipping and basting the chicken every 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the chickpeas: Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, oregano and the ½ teaspoon sea salt. When it's a chunky paste, stir in olive oil and lemon. In a large shallow serving bowl, toss the chickpeas with ¼ cup dressing and season to taste with sea salt. (Reserve the remaining dressing for the chicken.)

When the chicken has been cooking for 60 minutes, take its temperature: The meat should feel firm and an instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees when inserted near the bone of the thickest part of the breast and leg. The chicken may need another 5 to 10 minutes grilling with the lid closed. If you want more char on the breast, cook breast side down; if there is enough color, continue to cook breast side up.

Once the chicken is cooked, set it on top of the chickpeas. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving on a cutting board.

To serve: Use a large knife or cleaver to remove both thighs and legs. Separate both breasts, then cut each in half crosswise, creating 8 pieces. Place the chicken pieces back on the chickpeas and drizzle the chicken with the reserved oregano dressing. Cut the remaining lemon into quarters for squeezing on top, and dollop with Greek yogurt, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

These grilled chicken skewers are gently spiced with a ginger-and-cumin yogurt marinade, which makes the meat exceedingly tender and cooks to fragrant curds. As they grill, the skewers are gilded with a tarragon-mint baste that tastes distinctly Persian. Restraint and a very hot grill are both key to getting a good char: Don't move the skewers until the yogurt is burnished and the meat releases from the grates. Color is flavor. Catch any juices that run out of the cooked skewers with warm pita bread. Leftovers make excellent chicken salad.

Grilled Chicken Skewers With Tarragon and Yogurt (The New York Times/Andrew Purcell)
Grilled Chicken Skewers With Tarragon and Yogurt (The New York Times/Andrew Purcell)

Grilled Chicken Skewers With Tarragon and Yogurt

For grilling:

2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 teaspoons kosher salt

8 green onions, trimmed

6 pita breads

For the marinade:

2 ½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt

¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 teaspoons roasted cumin seeds, bruised using a mortar and pestle

For the herb-butter baste:

¼ cup unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime), plus 4 lime wedges for serving

¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon, mint or both, plus more torn herbs for serving

Prepare the chicken: Cut each thigh in half against the grain. Rub with salt and set aside.

Prepare the marinade: In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, salt and garlic. Reserve and refrigerate 1 cup marinade for serving. Put remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag and add the ginger, cumin and chicken; squelch around to coat thoroughly then refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 48 hours.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to grill. If using wooden skewers, immerse them in water to soak for 15 minutes. Or, use metal skewers or none at all.

Prepare the grill: Clean the grate thoroughly and build a hot fire. The skewers will cook over intense, direct heat. The coals are ready when they glow red and the grate hisses when you drop water on it.

Thread the chicken lengthwise onto skewers (if using), then smear with the marinade from the bag.

Prepare the baste: Place the butter and salt in a small saucepan to melt on the cooler side of the grill (or use the stovetop). Once butter is melted, add the lime juice and chopped herbs; keep warm but do not boil.

Grilling in batches if necessary, place the chicken on the grill a few inches apart. When you see a good char forming underneath, about 3 to 5 minutes, gently tug a skewer or the chicken: If it feels very stuck, leave it a few more minutes before turning. When the chicken releases easily and looks nicely charred in places, flip it using a fish spatula to gently pry any stuck bits off the grate.

Baste the chicken with the herb butter and arrange the scallions in a single layer on the cooler edges of the grill. Let the chicken cook on the second side until firm and cooked through and turn the scallions occasionally until grill-marked and tender, about 8 minutes.

Grill the pitas until marked, about 1 minute, turning halfway through. Lay them on the serving platter and place the scallions and chicken on top. Drizzle the bread, scallions and chicken with any remaining warm herb butter. Dollop chicken with reserved marinade, squeeze with lime and top with extra tarragon or mint.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Wrap your chicken with bacon, grill it and drizzle it with this nearly green goddess, almost-guacamole dressing and you might even convert burger eaters into salad fiends. Covering the butterflied breasts in bacon helps baste the lean chicken and accelerates char as fat melts onto the coals. Flare-ups are inevitable, but don't be alarmed: They will ensure rich color on the bacon while protecting the breast from overcooking. When assembling the salad, avoid weighing down the leaves with hot and heavy toppings: Dollop plenty of the dressing on the plate first, and layer most of the chicken and eggs below the lightly dressed leaves. There should be a little leftover dressing to satisfy the people that will want to dip each bite of chicken into the herby, lime-laced avocado.

Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Chicken Salad With Avocado and Lime (The New York Times/Andrew Purcell)
Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Chicken Salad With Avocado and Lime (The New York Times/Andrew Purcell)

Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Chicken Salad With Avocado and Lime

For the chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 ½ pounds)

1 ½ teaspoons flaky sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

16 slices bacon

For the dressing:

½ cup any and all soft herbs, such as tarragon, dill, parsley or cilantro, plus more for garnish

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 garlic clove

¼ cup fresh lime juice

3 ripe avocados

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 jalapeños, thinly sliced into rounds

For the salad:

2 ½ pounds any mixture of crunchy salad leaves: endive, watercress, radicchio, romaine or Little Gems (about 4 quarts)

Olive oil, as needed

Kosher salt

4 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and halved

Lime wedges, for serving

Take the chicken breasts out of the fridge to come to room temperature. Soak wooden toothpicks or skewers in water while you ready your grill. Clean the grate thoroughly and build a hot fire. This chicken needs to be cooked over intense, direct heat.

While the coals heat, butterfly the chicken breasts: On a chopping board, place one hand on top of the breast, and slice into its side, starting at the thick end and moving toward the thin point. Make sure not to cut all the way through. Then, open up the breast, cover with plastic wrap and, using a rolling pin, roll the chicken to an even thickness of ½ inch; set aside.

Prepare the dressing: Crush the herbs, salt and garlic in a pestle until you have a thick, bright-green paste (or finely chop them); stir in the lime juice. Scoop the avocados into the pestle and crush, then stir in the oil, pepper and half the jalapeños. Prepare the salad components so they're ready to be assembled when the chicken is cooked.

When the coals are burning red and the grill hisses when you drop water on it, salt and pepper the chicken breasts on both sides. Lay 4 slices of bacon flat on each breast crosswise, then turn the chicken over and fold the bacon ends over like you're wrapping a parcel. Secure the ends of the bacon with toothpicks or skewers.

Place the bacon-wrapped breasts on the grill, with the side without the toothpicks facing down. There will be some flare-ups as the bacon fat hits the coals; if it's burning, pull the parcels off the grill and give the coals a few minutes to cool. Otherwise, when the parcels have nice color on the first side, after about 3 or 4 minutes, flip them over. Cook on the second side until cooked through, about 2 to 4 minutes more; transfer to a cutting board to rest.

Assemble the salad: Toss the leaves with about a third of the avocado dressing and some additional olive oil to thin it. Use your hands to toss until coated and season to taste with salt.

Pull the toothpicks or skewers out of the bacon-wrapped breasts and slice them into strips. Dollop some of the avocado dressing onto the serving platter, then arrange the leaves, chicken and eggs on top. Dollop with the remaining avocado dressing to taste. Finish with more herbs, remaining jalapeños, lime wedges and some extra olive oil for gloss.

Makes 6 servings.

Food on 06/03/2020

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