These days it’s hard to go grocery shopping or out to eat at a casual restaurant without running into rotisserie-roasted chickens. They’re everywhere, including where they do best, on spits in backyard grills. Fried turkeys remain a little less common, but in a single decade they’ve become a holiday tradition in millions of homes. If you’ve missed out so far on either of these joys, it’s time to join the flock. In outdoor cooking, birds hold sway today.
Roasted, fried, smoked, or simply grilled, poultry appeals to everyone. It welcomes a whole world of seasoning and is seldom shunned for health or dietary reasons. The most popular cuts-particularly the ubiquitous boneless, skinless chicken breast-also cook in a snap and are as affordable as hot dogs. Duck, quail, and other birds may seem more daunting, but they are actually easier to prepare in some respects and provide serious breadth to your menu options. For a family supper, a spur-of-the-moment cookout with friends, or a major celebration, you can rely on poultry to please.
An odd thing happened to the American grill on the way to the universal popularity it enjoys today. In the early years, grills often featured rotisseries for outdoor roasting. As manufacturers increasingly began to push covered cooking and the use of “indirect grilling” as the preferred means of roasting, they generally dropped the handy rotisserie attachments. Now they’re back big time, due to the growing sophistication of outdoor cooks and manufacturers’ need to find new value-added accessories. The instructions included with new rotisseries are still stone-age, however, so we walk you through the process in our recipes. Follow the directions and you’ll relish the results, a rotisserie chicken far crisper, juicier, fresher, and better seasoned than any take-out version. Other dry rubs work just as well.
COOKING METHOD | ROTISSERIE ROASTING
Serves 4 to 8
Smoky Poultry Rub
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons smoked or sweet paprika, preferably Spanish
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon Smoked Salt (page 34), commercial smoked salt, or coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon onion powder
1½ teaspoons crumbled dried sage
1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
2 whole plump chickens, 3¼ to 3½ pounds each
Butter, olive oil, goose fat, duck fat, or other flavorful fat, optional
Fresh sage or thyme sprigs, optional
At least 1 hour and up to a day ahead of roasting, stir the dry rub spices together in a medium bowl. Season the chickens. If your rotisserie cooks in front of the flame rather than above it, and you want to use the fat for extra flavor, rub it on the chicken at the same time. Don’t use the fat if you’re cooking above the flame, because much of it drips away and will increase flare-ups. Loosen the skin all over, gently nudging your fingers down under it, including the skin on the drumsticks. Rub the chicken generously with the seasoning and butter, being careful to avoid tearing the skin.
After rubbing, place a few herb sprigs into each chicken’s body cavity if you wish. Place the chickens in one or two large zippered plastic bags, seal, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to a day. Let sit at room temperature about 20 minutes before proceeding.
Truss each chicken, which ensures even cooking and keeps the bird from flopping around on the spit Cut about a 4-foot-long piece of kitchen twine for each. Set a chicken breast side up on a work surface. Starting in the middle of your piece of string, wrap it around the ends of both legs, then crisscross the string back and forth around the chicken up to the neck end. Pay special attention to the wing areas, since you want to have the wings flush against the chicken’s body. Tie the string ends together when you have wrapped the rest around the bird. Repeat with the second chicken.
a Mediterranean Picnic
Rotisserie Chickens with Smoky Poultry Rub or à la Provence
Celery Root Rémoulade (page 478)
Fresh French- or Italian-style bread
Goat Cheese Bocconcini (page 92)
Grill-Roasted Fruit with Almonds (page 508)
Fire up the rotisserie, removing the spit first if it’s in place, and heat the grill with the lid closed. Use the set rotisserie temperature, if your grill functions that way, or bring the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Slide one of the prongs onto the far end of the spit, facing the center. Next slide on a chicken, running the spit through the cavity, with the legs first. Secure the legs to the prong. Slide on the center prong piece (which juts in both directions) if you have one. Otherwise, slide on the second chicken, head end first, and lodge the chickens tightly together. Slide on the second end prong and attach it to the chicken’s legs.
Reposition the chickens in the center of the spit and tighten the bolts on the prongs. If your rotisserie has a counterweight that fits on the spit or its handle, secure it in place to balance the weight of the turning chickens.
Attach the spit to the motor and turn on the power.
Close the grill cover unless the manufacturer’s instructions say not to. Cook until an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of a thigh reads 170°F to 175°F, 70 to 90 minutes, depending on the type of rotisserie. Don’t open the grill too often, or you will increase the cooking time substantially.
With heatproof mitts, remove the spit from the grill. Unscrew the counterweight and bolts and slide the chickens and prongs off. Rest the chickens on a large cutting board. Pull off the prongs and snip off the twine. Let sit for about 10 minutes so the juices can settle, then carve and serve.
Rotisserie Chickens à la Provence Eliminate the rub and replace it with Herbes de Grillade (page 30) or Classic Herbes de Provence (page 30). If you use fat, make it a fruity olive oil.
Thai Firebirds Replace the rub with Thai Seasoning Paste or one of its variations on pages 35 to 36. Skip the butter or other fat and the herb sprigs. Serve if you like with Lemongrass Mayonnaise (page 66) or a dipping sauce of about equal parts rice vinegar, water, and brown sugar, with enough fish sauce to provide a salty edge.
Rotisserie Chickens with Porcini Mushrooms Skip the rub and instead season the chicken inside and out with Porcini Butter (page 65), again being sure to nudge plenty of it under the skin. Be sure to place a drip pan under the chickens. Degrease the liquid if you like and use it to drizzle over the chicken slices or pieces at the table.
If your grill isn’t equipped with a rotisserie, you can almost always add one. When shopping, find out how much weight different options will support and check out the clearance they need to turn the food. You don’t want to plan on roasting a couple of Thanksgiving turkeys when your rotisserie will hold only two quail. Also check the design. Despite having paid a premium for the built-in rotisserie on our gas grill, we got only the end prongs for the spit, providing no easy means of cooking two or more birds at the same time. We had to beg a couple of center prongs for our rotisserie from our local meat market. Consider a rotisserie basket, too, which eliminates the need to run the spit through the food. It’s handy for dishes like turkey breast or ham that have no center cavity.
Marcella Hazan, doyenne of Italian cooking, popularized a method of oven roasting a chicken that uses nothing more than two lemons in the chicken’s cavity for seasoning. We work from that simple inspiration here.
COOKING METHOD | ROTISSERIE ROASTING
Serves 4 to 8
2 plump whole chickens, 5¼ to 3½ pounds each
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper
4 small thin-skinned lemons, at room temperature
Loosen the chickens’ skin all over, gently nudging your fingers down under it, including the skin on the drumsticks. Season the chickens with salt and pepper, being careful to avoid tearing the skin.
Roll the lemons back and forth on the counter, pressing firmly. This breaks up the internal juice sacs, making the juice flow more freely. With a fork or a bamboo or slim metal skewer, poke about 2 dozen holes in each lemon. Pop 2 lemons into each chicken’s cavity. Use toothpicks or slim metal poultry lacing skewers to close up the cavities as well as you can on both ends.
Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before proceeding.
Truss each chicken, which ensures even cooking and keeps the bird from flopping around on the spit. Cut about a 4-foot-long piece of kitchen twine for each. Set a chicken breast side up on a work surface. Starting in the middle of your piece of string, wrap it around the ends of both legs, then crisscross the string back and forth around the chicken up to the neck end. Pay special attention to the wing areas, since you want to have the wings flush against the chicken’s body. Tie the string ends together when you have wrapped the rest around the bird. Repeat with the second chicken.
Fire up the rotisserie, removing the spit first if it’s in place, and heat the grill with the lid closed. Use the set rotisserie temperature, if your grill functions that way, or bring the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Slide one of the prongs onto the far end of the spit, facing the center. Next slide on a chicken, legs first. Run the spit gently into the cavity, prodding it into an opening in the skin you’ve just so nicely closed with toothpicks. Secure the legs to the prong. Slide on the center prong piece (which juts in both directions) if you have one. Otherwise, slide on the second chicken, head end first, and lodge the chickens tightly together. Then slide on the second end prong and attach it to the chicken’s legs.
Reposition the chickens in the center of the spit and tighten the bolts on the prongs. If your rotisserie has a counterweight that fits on the spit or its handle, secure it in place to balance the weight of the turning chickens. Attach the spit to the motor and turn on the power. Place a drip pan under the birds to catch the drippings, unless your rotisserie sits directly over the fire and the pan would block the heat.
Close the grill cover unless the manufacturer’s instructions say not to. Cook until an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of a thigh reads 170°F to 175°F, 70 to 90 minutes, depending on the type of rotisserie. Don’t open the grill too often, or you will increase the cooking time substantially. You may notice the chickens ballooning up a bit, which is not a problem. This is a result of the lemon steam bath taking place inside the chickens.
With heatproof mitts, remove the spit from the grill. Unscrew the counterweight and bolts and slide the chickens and prongs off. Rest the chickens on a large cutting board. Pull off the prongs and snip off the twine. Let sit about 10 minutes, so the juices can settle. If you have pan juices, pour them into a gravy boat, degreasing if you wish. Undo the ends of the chickens and remove what’s left of your lemons. Squeeze a little of the remaining juice into the pan juices. Carve and serve, moistened with the pan juices.
Rotisserie Chicken with Two Lemons and Pancetta Cut about ¼ pound pancetta into small bits and before washing nudge half under the skin of each bird, drumsticks included.
Rotisserie Capon with Two Lemons and Pancetta One bird will serve 6 to 8, so you’ll need only 2 lemons rather than 4. Cook on the rotisserie for 13 to 15 minutes per pound or until an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of a thigh reads 170°F to 175°F.
Rotisserie chickens pretty well take care of themselves once they’re on the spit, making them perfect for a party. If you want even more of the meal to do the same, and your spit faces the flames, roast vegetables under the rotisserie in the delicious drippings while the chickens turn above. Cut chunks of potatoes, onions, parsnips, carrots, fennel, and other roasting vegetables in roughly equal 1-inch pieces, put them in a shallow foil-lined pan, and arrange under the chickens. Stir once or twice as they cook and they’ll be done at the same time as the birds. Add some bread and an easy dessert and you’re nearly home free.
If you don’t have a rotisserie, you can come close to the same results with covered grill roasting. Forget the generally recommended method of using a steady baking temperature. Instead, start on relatively high heat, in a true oven-roasting style, then rotate the chicken and finish the cooking at a lower temperature.
COOKING METHOD | COVERED GRILL ROASTING
Serves 6 or more
Southwest Spice
2 tablespoons ground dried mild to medium New Mexican red chile
2 tablespoons smoked or sweet paprika
2 tablespoons ground dried chipotle chile
2 tablespoons ground dried ancho chile
1½ tablespoons ground cumin
1½ tablespoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
2 whole chickens, 3¼ to 3½ pounds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Combine the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture inside and outside and over and under the chickens’ skin, without tearing the skin. Let the chickens sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Prepare the grill. Create a hot fire on one half of the grill and leave the other half un-heated. In case you are working with a gas grill with three burners, turn two burners to high and leave the third off. If your gas grill has two burners, one in front and one in back, make the fire in the back portion of the grill. In a charcoal grill, build a hot fire under one side of the grate and leave the other half unheated.
Place an inexpensive portable oven thermometer on the cool half of the cooking grate; don’t rely on your grill’s built-in thermometer, because you want to measure the temperature only on the unheated side. Close the grill and bring the temperature to approximately 400°F on the unheated side. (Some low-powered gas grills may not reach the ideal 400°F. If you have waited an appropriate amount of time for you grill to heat fully, and the temperature has stopped climbing, note the temperature. For every 25 degrees under 400°F, plan to add at least 10 minutes to the overall cooking time of 65 to 85 minutes.)
* Ask questions about the birds you buy; don’t just accept anything a supermarket puts out Some chickens taste much better than others, even when they’re both USDA grade A, the highest rating.
* When possible, patronize stores where the chicken is unwrapped in a display case so that you can see and smell it clearly. If the only choices are hermetically sealed in plastic, check the sell-by tag for freshness and avoid packages with drained juices pooling at the bottom. Once you get it home, use the chicken within a couple of days. Rinse all poultry inside and out then pat dry before seasoning.
* If you’re shopping for premium chicken for a party or other special occasion, be aware that kosher is the only straightforward term used in labeling. It means the chicken has been processed with a light brine to help draw out the blood, a treatment that also enhances flavor and juiciness.
* No other terminology necessarily means much, as appealing as organic, natural, and field-grazed may sound. Their use is completely unregulated and is often applied in misleading ways. Ask about what’s important to you. Was the chicken allowed to move more than an inch during its brief lifetime? If so, was it ground-fed or maybe even allowed to graze in a grain field? Was it pumped with antibiotics? If your market can’t tell you, or if the answers don’t please you, shop elsewhere and tell the manager why.
Preferably wearing heatproof washable mitts, place the chickens directly on the cooking grate in the unheated area, breast side down. Plan on a total cooking time of 65 to 85 minutes. After 35 minutes, turn the chickens breast side up and rotate so that they cook evenly. Brush with butter to gloss the skin and reduce the heat to 350°F. (On a gas grill, simply turn the heat down; on a charcoal grill, close vents and spread out the charcoal as necessary.) Cook until the skin is crisp and well browned and an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of a thigh reads 170°F to 175°F.
Let the chickens sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then carve and serve.
Also called “beer-can chicken,” this is one of the country’s great barbecue classics. To fully merit that renown, though, it must be smoked slow and low in true barbecue fashion, preferably with hickory or oak logs. Roasting the chicken in a covered grill with a few wood chips produces only a pale imitation. When done right, the birds smoke from the outside in and steam from the inside out, absorbing every one of the many flavors wafting around and through them. Standing upright on a beer can, they also self-baste fully and wonderfully.
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
Serves 6 or more
Wild Willy’s Number One-derful Rub
6 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
Injection Liquid
One 12-ounce bottle or can beer
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup cider or white vinegar
Two 3½-pound whole chickens
Two 12-ounce cans (not bottles) beer
½ medium onion, chopped
¼ cup cider or white vinegar
Mop, optional
One 12-ounce bottle or can beer
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup vegetable oil
The night before you plan to barbecue, combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the dry rub.
In another bowl, combine the ingredients for the injection liquid, adding 2 teaspoons of the reserved rub. With a kitchen syringe, inject about ½ cup of the injection liquid deep into the breast and legs of each chicken, shooting in several directions from each hole that you make. Massage the chickens thoroughly, inside and out, with the remaining injection liquid, working it as far as possible under the skin without tearing it. Massage the chickens with the larger quantity of dry rub (it will be quite a bit of seasoning). Place the chickens in one or two large plastic bags and refrigerate them overnight.
The next day, about 5 hours before you plan to eat, prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 180°F to 220°F.
Remove the chickens from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
While you wait, open the 2 beer cans and drink half-and only half-of each beer. With a can opener, remove the tops of the half-empty beer cans. Place half of the onion, half of the vinegar, and ½ teaspoon of the remaining reserved rub in each can. Insert the replenished beer cans into the cavities of the chickens, balancing the birds so that they rest upright with their legs bent forward. The cans should sit flat on the smoker grate or on a cooking tray. Along with the chicken’s legs, the can forms a tripod for holding the chickens upright and at attention while their insides are steaming and their outsides are smoking.
If you are going to use the mop, combine the ingredients in a saucepan, adding the remaining tablespoon of reserved rub and ½ cup water, and keep the mixture warm over low heat.
Transfer the chickens on their cans to the smoker. Here’s your chance to cross their legs, raise their wings in salute, or put them in any other position that pleases you. Cook for 3½ to 4 hours, mopping every 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit or as appropriate in your style of smoker. Rotate the chickens occasionally if they seem to be getting more cooked on one side than another. When the chickens are done, their legs will be able to shake hands easily (move freely) and the internal temperature should be 180°F to 185°F (higher than we usually cook poultry, but they will still be quite moist).
a March Madness Party
ley Oysters in Sangrita (page 90)
Green Chile-Scallion Dip (page 94) and tortilla chips
Chicken on a Throne
Cheddar-Jalapeño Potato Mash (page 488)
Cupcakes, maybe decorated with frosting or sprinkles in your favorite team colors (unless perhaps those colors are something like the navy and orange of the University of Illinois)
You should seldom remove the skin from chickens or other birds before barbecuing them. The skin keeps the meat moist, and its fat acts as a natural basting agent When there is skin on only a portion of the meat, as with a chicken breast, place that side up in your smoker. Unlike with high-heat grilling, we remove the skin before serving, just as we trim remaining layers of fat from other barbecue meats. The skin doesn’t crisp up as it would with grilling and is overly smoky for most people’s tastes. One exception we’ve found is when chicken is cooked in a Big Green Egg or other ceramic kamado smoker, which even at low temperatures produces poultry with moist meat and crackling crisp skin.
Remove the chickens on their cans from the smoker, using washable oven mitts. Let the chickens sit for 10 minutes. Dismount the chickens from the cans. Remove the skins if you wish, carve the chickens, and serve.
The name alone may make you grin, but you’ll certainly break into a wide smile when you taste the sweet soy-glazed meat A Hawaiian favorite, huli-huli (which means “turn-turn”) often serves as the centerpiece dish in the islands for large fundraising cookouts. At one of those events Honolulu’s lolani School set the official Guinness world record for cooking chickens in a single day-46,386.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or legs, or a combination
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Huli-Huli Glaze
¾ cup soy sauce, regular or low-sodium
¼ cup ketchup
5 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 to 3 plump garlic cloves, peeled
Salt the chicken lightly, rubbing some under the skin of each part. Let the chicken sit covered at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Blot any excess moisture.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Puree the glaze ingredients in a blender, then pour into a bowl.
Transfer the chicken to the cooking grate skin side down. Grill uncovered over medium heat for a total of 25 to 35 minutes. Turn every 5 to 10 minutes. After you have turned the chicken at least 3 times and it no longer has any raw surfaces, begin brushing with the glaze. End the grilling of the breasts with the skin side down for a final crisping. (The chicken skin should face the grill enough to render fat and brown gradually without burning.) Watch for flare-ups, shifting the chicken away from the flames as necessary.
When the chicken parts are done, they will have mahogany skins, crispy in some spots and chewy in others, and will register 170°F to 175°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of a leg, thigh, or breast.
Arrange the chicken on a platter, more or less in a single layer, skin sides up, so the skins don’t get soggy. Serve right away.
Simple Huli Huli Chicken Breasts The glaze gives lots of flavor to boneless, skinless breasts. Use 6 to 8 breasts pounded to ½-inch thickness. Use the same medium heat and still turn the chicken 3 times, but the total cooking time will be reduced substantially to 10 to 12 minutes.
Huli-Huli Chicken Breasts in Pineapple Boats To add some hokey but happy fun to the festivities, carve a pineapple into boats for each diner. Split pineapples down through their tuft of spiky leaves into halves or quarters. Leaving about a ½-inch shell, cut the rest of the fruit away from the skin in large spears. Cut away the firm core from the center of the spears. Simply buttered, the pineapple spears go on the grill with 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts prepared as in the previous variation. Take the pineapple off as the spears soften and char in a few spots. Slice the chicken breasts into strips and mound them and the fruit in each pineapple boat. Don’t mix the chicken and pineapple too early or the brown glaze will melt unattractively.
Cutting up a butterflied chicken is a breeze, giving you attractive pieces for all guests with little work. Turn the cooked chicken skin side down and, using kitchen scissors, cut the bird into halves. Simply slice through the already-cracked breastbone. After that, only skin is holding the breast and leg-thigh pieces together. Cut them neatly apart. If you like, separate the drumstick and thigh sections. Then cut the wings away from the breasts and, if you wish, halve each breast crosswise.
Of the many chicken preparations that appeared in our Chicken on the Grill (2004, William Morrow/Harpercollins), this became the one that we repeat most regularly. With their thick and sticky coating, these breasts come out sweet, sour, smoky, and even a touch fiery-a delectable combination of tastes. Eat this with your fingers and have plenty of napkins within easy reach.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6 to 8
Tamarind-Tangerine Sauce
¾ cup fresh tangerine or orange juice (remove the zest before juicing the fruit and reserve it)
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon chipotle ketchup or chipotle barbecue sauce or the same amont of regular ketchup or barbecue sauce mixed with 1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles, minced
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons tamarind paste or concentrate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt, optional
2 tablespoons garlic-flavored oil or vegetable oil
1½ teaspoons coarse salt, either sea or kosher salt, or more to taste
8 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
Prepare the sauce. Stir the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a bare simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the lumpy tamarind paste melts into the sauce. When done, it should be tacky enough to coat the spoon. (The sauce can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, and then reheated.)
About 20 to 30 minutes before you plan to grill the chicken breasts, stir together the orange zest, oil, and salt. Rub the mixture lightly onto the breasts, over and under the skin, being careful to avoid tearing the skin or pulling it loose. Cover and let sit at room temperature. Blot any liquid from the surface before grilling.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Transfer the chicken to the grill skin side down. Grill the chicken uncovered over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes, turning at least 4 times. The chicken skin should face the grill enough to render fat and cook gradually without burning. Watch for flare-ups, shifting the breasts away from the flame if necessary. After you have turned the chicken twice, brush thickly with the sauce. If any of the pieces start to burn, rather than just get a few chewy, charred edges, move those edges away from the fire as much as possible while they finish cooking. When done, the chicken should be white throughout but still juicy, 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Serve right away.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken parts come out juicier and tastier on the grill than their more popular stripped-down kin. The skin shields the meat from the heat, and flavorful fat melts and bastes the chicken naturally over the fire. Even something as large as a chicken half can be grilled directly if the heat is moderate. Be cautious about flare-ups from dripping fat, leaving plenty of space on the grate to move the food as necessary. Remove the skin before eating if you wish, but understand that you’re throwing away a lot of flavor for a relatively small saving in fat and calories.
Light and sprightly, like the best of summer eating. If you like the idea but find yourself in a hurry, skip the mustard paste and simply season the chicken breasts with salt and a spritz of oil.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Mustard Paste
3 tablespoons Dijon or spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1½ teaspoons cracked yellow mustard seeds
l teaspoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
½ teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
6 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½-inch thickness
Peach Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups chopped peaches, fresh or thawed frozen
2 teaspoons minced fresh summer savory or marjoram or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts grill best when they are of even thickness. The simplest way to manage this is to slide them under plastic wrap or wax paper and then gently thump them with the smooth surface of a meat pounder. Don’t take out the day’s frustrations on them, or they will resemble Swiss cheese.
Prepare the mustard paste, combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over all of the chicken breasts and let stand at room temperature.
Prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the shallot and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, peaches, and savory and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the peaches have disintegrated, about 20 more minutes. Season with salt. Continue cooking until reduced to about 1½ cups.
a Summer Solstice Party
Melon and Prosciutto Skewers (page 89)
Summery Chicken Breasts with Savory Peach Sauce
Sliced tomato and onion salad Berry cobbler
Tea-rrific (page 78) and regular iced tea
Meanwhile, fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Blot excess mustard paste from the surface of the chicken breasts. Then grill uncovered over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes total. Turn onto each side twice, rotating the breasts a half turn each time to get crisscross grill marks. Brush lightly with some of the sauce after each side of the chicken has faced the fire once. The chicken is ready when white throughout but still juicy and the sauce is caramelized and chewy in a few spots. Serve hot, whole or sliced, with the remaining sauce.
Summery Chicken Breasts with Savory Blackberry Sauce Substitute blackberries for peaches. Strain the sauce before serving to eliminate the pesky seeds.
When many people dream about barbecued chicken, this is what they have in mind, succulent chunks of white meat lacquered with a sweet tomato-based sauce. Its popularity and affordability make it a great choice for a big party. For variety, try the chicken with a different style of sauce, perhaps Mustard and Honey Sauce (page 54) or whiskey-rich Serendipity Sauce (page 54).
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6 or more
Genuine Kansas City Barbecue Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups tomato sauce
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
¼ cup tomato paste
5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons pure liquid hickory smoke, optional
8 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½-inch thickness
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Vegetable oil spray
Prepare the sauce, first warming the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in the remaining sauce ingredients and ¾ cup water, reduce the heat to low, and cook the mixture for about 30 minutes, so the flavors get good and friendly and the sauce is thick enough to heavily coat the spoon. Stir frequently. If the consistency is thicker than you prefer, add a little more water. Use the sauce warm or refrigerate it for up to several weeks.
a Nuevo American Fiesta
Bragging Rights Chicken with Barbecue Sauce
Pulled Pork Butt (page 328) on fried corn cakes or arepas
Nuevo Rice and Beans (page 492)
Piña Colada Flan (page 520)
Batida de Mango (page 77)
Rub the chicken with salt, spray lightly with oil, and let it sit covered at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the chicken uncovered over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes total. Turn onto each side twice, rotating the breasts a half turn each time to get crisscross grill marks. After each side of the chicken has faced the fire once, begin brushing the sauce over the breasts. The chicken is ready when white throughout but still juicy, and the sauce is a bit chewy and caramelized in spots. Leave the chicken on the grill an extra minute or two, if you wish, to get a slightly crusty surface.
For a messy outdoor main dish, like barbecued chicken or ribs, use a set of coordinating (not necessarily matching) dish towels instead of napkins. They’re cheaper than large napkins of similar quality and, after a number of washings, can end up in the kitchen for their original purpose.
The breasts can be served whole or sliced thickly into a pile, with the rest of the sauce handy on the side.
Dry spice rubs add bold flavors to chicken breasts quickly and simply. This example requires a little more fiddling than some dishes, but the tasty results make it well worth the effort. For his inspiration here, give a tilt of your Stetson to tall Texan Obie Obermark, known in barbecue cook-off circles as the “Chicken Champ.”
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Black and White Dry Rub
1½ tablespoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
6 medium to large individual boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½-inch thickness
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled Six
⅛-inch-thick lemon slices, cut into half-moons
Vegetable oil spray
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Stir the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
Cut a pocket in each chicken breast, easiest when the meat is very cold. Slice horizontally into a breast from one of its sides. Use a small sharp knife, keeping the knife cut about ¾ inch wide on the surface and wiggling the blade back and forth inside the breast so that you form a space at least a couple of inches wide. Divide the butter into 6 pieces, then dunk each piece into the dry rub. Nudge a pat of butter into each breast, followed by 2 lemon half-moons. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the remaining dry rub. Rub the breasts thoroughly with the rest of the dry rub. Spray the chicken lighUy with oil.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the chicken uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes total. Turn onto each side twice, rotating the breasts a half turn each time to get crisscross grill marks. Sprinkle with a bit of the reserved dry rub mixture after each turn and drizzle with lemon juice mixed with 1 tablespoon water. The chicken is ready when white throughout but still juicy. Serve hot, topping each breast with a bit of softened butter.
Thousands of grillers regularly cook breasts on a blazing bonfire that’s too hot for their fair flesh, charring the outside and leaving them raw inside. Or, worried about getting them cooked through, they leave the breasts over the heat too long, turning them as dry as straw. To avoid those pitfalls:
* Pound breasts to an even thickness so they cook uniformly.
* Grill over steady medium heat
* Measure the fire carefully with the hand test before you put the chicken on the grate and maintain that temperature until the end, tracking the time as you grill.
* If you’re intent on becoming a chicken champ like Obie Obermark, check out his website (www.obiecue.com) for tips and special handcrafted products.
Black and White Chicken Breasts Caprese Eliminate the lemons and butter. Make the opening to the chicken pockets about 1 inch across. Nudge into each chicken breast a small slim slice of fresh mozzarella, dipped in extra virgin olive oil and then in dry rub. Add 1 basil leaf and a thin half-moon of fresh tomato. Brush with a bit more olive oil while grilling. Garnish with a few cubes of diced tomato and a little fresh basil.
The French term paillard refers to an ingredient that has been pounded until very thin. With a tender ingredient destined for the grill like these breasts, the technique speeds up the cooking time and, most important, provides greater surface area for flavoring and searing. The chicken will be off the grill before you can cluck, and the accompanying emulsified butter sauce, or beurre blanc, doesn’t take much longer.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Mustard-Tarragon Marinade
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup tarragon vinegar
¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves or 2 tablespoons dried
¼ cup flavorful olive oil
2 plump garlic cloves, peeled
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4- to 5-ounce breast portions, gently pounded to ¼-inch thickness
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Tarragon Butter Sauce
½ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
Pinch of coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, cut into quarters lengthwise and then into cubes
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon, plus 6 sprigs for garnish
Prepare the marinade, pureeing the ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Place the chicken breasts in a large zippered plastic bag, pour the marinade over them, and seal. Toss the bag back and forth to coat evenly. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade. Grill the chicken uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes total. Turn onto each side twice, rotating the breasts each time to get crisscross grill marks. The paillards are ready when white with brown markings and just firm to the touch. Stack on a plate and tent with foil while you immediately begin to make the butter.
Prepare the butter either on a grill side burner or on the kitchen stove. Combine the wine, vinegar, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook briefly over medium-high heat until reduced to about ¼ cup of liquid. Whisking constantly, preferably with a flat whisk, begin adding the butter, one little cube at a time. As each bit is nearly incorporated, add the next. Add the fresh tarragon with the last bit of butter. You will have a creamy smooth and lightly thickened emulsified sauce. (The whole process takes less than 10 minutes.) Immediately remove from the heat.
Chicken with Roasted Peppers. Drain oil from a jar of roasted red bell peppers. Coat the breasts with the oil and some salt before grilling. Serve topped with the roasted peppers and some minced parsley or basil.
Sicilian Chicken. Marinate the breasts in equal amounts of dry white wine, lemon juice, and flavorful olive oil, plus garlic to taste. After grilling, scatter with hot red pepper flakes and chopped fresh mint leaves.
Provençal Chicken. Coat the chicken with Herbes de Grillade (page 30) or Classic Herbes de Provence (page 30). Spray with olive oil before grilling and serve with trickles of your best extra virgin oil when it comes to the table.
Peppery Garlic Chicken. Coat boneless, skinless breasts with oil and a little salt and pepper. After grilling, serve with Peppery Garlic Butter (page 64).
Chicken with Worcestershire Pecan Butter. Marinate the breasts in Worcestershire sauce with a splash of vegetable oil and some salt Serve with Worcestershire Pecan Butter (page 64).
Chicken with Chunky Avocado Salsa. Season the chicken with vegetable oil and salt After grilling, serve topped with scoops of Chunky Avocado Salsa (page 67).
Chicken with Caponata. Coat breasts with a little flavorful olive oil, salt, and lemon juice or red wine or balsamic vinegar before grilling. Serve topped with Grill-Roasted Caponata (page 427) or a store-bought version.
Chicken with Mustard Butter and Mustard Seeds. Marinate the chicken in dry white wine. To make the sauce, melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter in a small skillet Add 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds and cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat, just long enough for the seeds to sizzle around the edges. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
Soy and Sesame Chicken. Marinate boneless, skinless breasts with ¾ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, and 1 to 2 teaspoons Asian chile garlic-paste. After grilling, scatter with cilantro leaves.
Sunny Chicken with Black Olive and Lemon Relish. Coat breasts with a little flavorful olive oil, salt, and lemon juice before grilling. Serve topped with Black Olive and Lemon Relish (page 72).
Tomato-Rubbed Chicken. Rub breasts with David’s Special Spices (page 27) and serve with a garnish of chopped tomatoes in different colors or with Salsa Cruda (page 68).
Korean Chicken in Lettuce Wraps. Coat the chicken with equal amounts of dark sesame oil, vegetable oil, and a little salt. After grilling, slice into thin strips. Smear lettuce leaves with a sauce of equal amounts of Korean bean paste and Korean red pepper paste, seasoned assertively with minced garlic and scallion. Wrap the lettuce around a few chicken strips.
Place a chicken paillard on each plate. Top with a portion of the butter and a tarragon sprig and serve right away. Alternatively, slice the paillards and arrange in haystacks on each plate, then top with butter and tarragon.
To make the paillards look party-perfect, place the breasts between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet with steady moderate pressure rather than heavy whacks. Trim any ragged edges before grilling.
On these tasty kebabs we combine cubes of chicken breast with chunks of chicken-apple sausages. The flavors meld wonderfully together with any of the three distinctly different sauce possibilities we offer, one based on tomatoes, another on mustard, and the third on tangy Worcestershire. Pick one of the styles or go generous with all three.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
6 or 12 metal skewers
1 pound plump boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾- to l-inch cubes
1 pound fully cooked chicken-apple sausages or other mildly seasoned fully cooked poultry sausage, sliced into 1-inch chunks
1 to 1½ cups thawed frozen white or red pearl onions
1 small head of radicchio, about 5 to 6 ounces, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 to 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into bite-sized chunks so that each has some skin
Vegetable oil spray
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
About 1 cup Genuine Kansas City Barbecue Sauce (page 50), Mustard and Honey Sauce (page 54), or Black Magic (page 53)
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Thread each skewer with equal portions of chicken and sausage cubes, onions, radicchio, and apple chunks. Avoid crowding. Spray the kebabs well with oil, then sprinkle lightly with salt.
Grill the kebabs uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, turning to cook on all sides. Generously paint the kebabs with sauce after they’ve grilled about 1 minute per side. Brush with more sauce as they come off the grill. Serve hot.
Lots of grillers like to spritz food with apple juice or cider to add flavor and moisture and to promote browning of the surface. This is a great recipe to try out the technique. Fill a spray bottle and mist away.
Today the backyard barbecue classic, Chicken on a Throne (page 270), is making its way onto restaurant tables, but here’s a case where a hot idea from mall food courts migrated to home grills. The idea gets hyped as an old Cajun preparation, but forget that hooey and enjoy it for what it is, a scrumptious and assertively flavored chicken dish.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 8
Bourbon Marinade
1½ cups bourbon
1½ cups soy sauce, regular or low-sodium
½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
8 medium chicken thighs
8 medium chicken drumsticks
At least 8 hours and up to a day before you plan to grill, combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Loosen the skin on the chicken thighs and legs, then place them in a large zippered plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal, toss back and forth to coat evenly, and refrigerate.
When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain the marinade into a saucepan. Let the chicken sit uncovered for about 20 minutes.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on medium-high heat (3 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium-low heat (6 seconds with the hand test).
Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil over high heat and boil vigorously for several minutes.
Grill the thighs and drumsticks uncovered over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning to sear all sides. Move the chicken to medium-low heat, baste with the cooked marinade, and continue grilling for 12 to 15 minutes longer, turning every 3 minutes or so. Baste several more times while the chicken grills, but not in the last 5 minutes, giving the skin a chance to crisp and the marinade to caramelize in spots. Watch for flare-ups, shifting the chicken away from the flames if necessary. Both thighs and drumsticks are done when brown and crisp and the juices run clear when they are pierced. Serve without hesitation.
This is simple to make, with easily found ingredients, but exotic and complex in taste.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
1 tablespoon store-bought Thai red or green curry paste, or more to taste
2 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil One 15-ounce can coconut milk Salt or Asian fish sauce, optional
12 chicken thighs, about ¼ pound each Store-bought sweet Thai red chile sauce Chopped peanuts, chopped fresh mint, basil, or cilantro, or a combination
Combine the curry paste and oil in a bowl and stir until the paste is softened. Mix in three-quarters of the coconut milk and taste. If it tastes bland now, it will taste even blander on the chicken, so add more curry paste and salt or fish sauce if needed, until the mixture is pleasantly pungent. If the mixture becomes too spicy, add in a little more coconut milk. Loosen the skin on the chicken thighs, place in a zippered plastic bag, pour the marinade over it, and seal the bag. Toss back and forth to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prepare the grill. For a more intense flavor, marinate for up to several hours, refrigerated.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on medium-high heat (3 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium-low heat (6 seconds with the hand test).
Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade.
Grill the thighs over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning to sear on all sides. Move the chicken to medium-low heat and continue grilling for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so. Watch for flare-ups, shifting the thighs away from the flames if necessary. The thighs are done when the skin is brown and crisp and the juices run clear when they are pierced.
In about the last 5 minutes of cooking, brush the thighs with a few tablespoons of the chile sauce. The thighs are done when the skin is brown and crisp and the juices run clear when they are pierced. The sauce should be a bit chewy and caramelized in spots.
Mound the chicken on a platter. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, herbs, or both and accompany with additional sauce. Eat with fingers, forks, or however you can manage best.
For a more substantial preparation, serve kebabs or most any other skewer over grilled bread. Rub slices from any good loaf with garlic and maybe with olive oil or butter, then toast over the fire until crispy but not dried out. Place a slice under each kebab.
These kebabs come off the grill looking like little Mexican blankets. With their strong colors and flavors, they’ll provide a bright wrap for your day.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Tequila, Lime, and Jalapeño Paste
⅓ cup tequila
⅓ cup fresh lime juice
⅓ cup sliced pickled jalapeños, plus 2 tablespoons liquid from the jar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 scallions, white and green parts, coarsely chopped
2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
¼ cup fresh orange juice, 2 tablespoons triple sec, or both
2 pounds plump boneless, skinless chicken thighs or a combination of thighs and breasts, cut into ¾- to 1-inch cubes
6 or 12 metal skewers
1 large orange bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch dice
1 large red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch dice
2 small limes, cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
1 large orange, cut into bite-sized chunks, each with some skin
Butter, salted or unsalted, melted
About 1 hour before you plan to grill, prepare the seasoning paste. Puree the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add the orange juice and mix to combine. Place the chicken in a large zippered plastic bag, pour the paste over, and seal. Toss back and forth to combine, then refrigerate.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
When ready to grill, drain the chicken and blot it lightly with paper towels, leaving the paste that clings to the surface.
Thread each skewer with chicken cubes, interspersed first with a piece of bell pepper of each color, then with a lime and an orange section. Avoid crowding. Brush on all sides with melted butter.
Grill the kebabs uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, turning to cook on all sides. If you like, brush with more melted butter as the skewers come off the grill. Serve hot.
If you’ve ever made fish and chips, you might have a bottle of malt vinegar in the back of your pantry. It cuts the richness of those foods, as it does with these deeply flavored chicken leg sections, leaving an elusive flavor behind. You can also replace the malt vinegar with a pricier, bolder sherry vinegar or French Banyuls vinegar, though don’t use an extraordinary bottle.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
12 medium chicken drumsticks, 4 to 5 ounces each
1 cup malt vinegar
1½ teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
At least 1 hour ahead, or up to the night before you plan to grill, loosen the skin on the drumsticks. Place in a large zippered plastic bag and pour in the vinegar and salt. Seal, toss back and forth to coat evenly, and refrigerate.
When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the refrigerator, drain it, and let it sit uncovered at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Blot any liquid from the surface before grilling.
Fire up the grill for a two-level Fire capable of cooking first on medium-high heat (3 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium-low heat (6 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the drumsticks uncovered over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning to sear on all sides. Move the chicken to medium-low heat and continue grilling for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so. Watch for flare-ups, shifting the drumsticks away from the flame if necessary. The drumsticks are done when the skin is brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced.
Arrange on a platter and serve right away. Drumsticks beg to be eaten with fingers.
a Fried Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner
Smoked Salmon Stuffed Eggs (page 87)
Fried Turkey with Red Chile-Pecan Sauce
Mashed potatoes
Sage-Chestnut Dressing (page 486)
Cranberry-orange relish
Jalapeño-spiked creamed spinach
Sweet potato pudding or pie
Communal and celebratory, and just plain fun, Cajun-inspired fried turkey enlivens any Sunday supper or Thanksgiving dinner. Just be sure that you know what you’re in for before you begin, reading through the recipe and sidebar thoroughly. If you don’t have one, buy a real turkey fryer rather than improvising with some old pot and propane burner. You’ll be rewarded with a strikingly moist turkey with beautifully browned and crispy skin. Some cooks inject and rub the bird heavily with Cajun seasonings before frying, but we prefer a lighter touch that doesn’t mask the poultry flavor. When we want to get fancy, we serve the turkey with the optional chile-pecan sauce and mashed or sweet potatoes.
COOKING METHOD | BIG-POT FRYING
Serves 8 to 10
1 turkey, preferably 12 to 15 pounds, thawed in the refrigerator over about 2 days if frozen
Injection Liquid
4 tablespoons (½ stick) melted butter
¼ cup garlic-flavored oil
½ cup turkey or chicken stock or beer
1 tablespoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
About ½ cup Cajun Zydeco Rub and Boil (page 29) or other Cajun seasoning
Peanut oil, at least 3 gallons, for deep-frying
Red Chile-Pecan Sauce, optional
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons minced onion
1 plump garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon ground dried red chile, such as ancho or New Mexican
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 cups turkey or chicken stock
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
The night before you plan to fry the turkey, place a large plastic food-safe bag on a work surface. Place the turkey on the bag, arranging it so it will be easy to pull the bag up over the bird eventually. If your turkey has one of those pop-up attachments stuck in it to tell you when it’s done, remove it now so that it doesn’t go haywire while the bird is being fried. Loosen the skin on the turkey.
Combine the injection liquid ingredients in a small deep bowl or oversized glass. It’s easier to work with a tall narrow container if you have a choice. Use an oversized kitchen syringe to inject the turkey; you will refill the syringe several times, until the liquid is used up. Inject the liquid into the bird at 3-inch intervals, making several injections going in different directions from each hole. Where we can avoid making a hole in the skin, and just reach the meat below, we do, but losing juices isn’t as big a concern as you might think. Go deep into the meat with the needle. Inject the breast most fully. Rub the remaining liquid over the skin.
Rub the Cajun spice mixture lightly over the turkey, massaging it inside and out and over and under the skin. Pull the plastic bag up over the turkey, seal, and return to the refrigerator for an overnight sleep.
Set up a turkey fryer in a safe spot. Take inventory so that you have the heavy-duty fry pot, fry basket, handle to get the turkey in and out, long-stemmed fry thermometer if one isn’t built in, oven mitts, a fry “spider” (strainer), and a long-handled spoon or barbecue fork. Have some rags handy for any spills and yes, have a fire extinguisher nearby. Arrange a large baking rack over a baking sheet to place the turkey on after it comes out of the oil. If using propane, make sure you have enough gas to cook for about 1 hour.
Pour in the amount of oil specified by the manufacturer. Take this seriously. Do not add any more oil than recommended. If there is no recommended level, you can figure this out for yourself. Take the bag-wrapped turkey out for a test run. Place the turkey, still in its bag, in the pot. Add water to the pot until it covers the turkey by 1 inch. Remove the turkey and mark the water level. Return the turkey to the refrigerator if you’re not going to start cooking within about 1 hour. Then dump out the water and dry the pot. You may be surprised at how little oil you really need, because the turkey displaces quite a bit of volume.
Probably no other cooking notion has been both so championed and maligned simultaneously as frying a Thanksgiving bird. Late November television news blares at us about potential problems. It can have risks, substantially increased if the cooks are drinking or just plain unprepared. Keep these pointers in mind.
* Invest in a dedicated fryer with a fry basket and, for maximum safety, get an electric fryer such as the Masterbuilt, described on page 19. Never use a large pot on the stovetop.
* Do not fry in the house or anywhere near the house. A wooden deck can burn, and concrete or flagstone can stain from the oil. We have a fireproof mat from an outdoor store that we use at home with a fryer on legs. We set our Masterbuilt on an outdoor sealed-ceramic tile counter so that it’s waist high.
* Keep kids and pets away, including afterward, when the oil is cooling, which can take hours.
* Wear long sleeves, closed-toed leather shoes, and oil-proof oven mitts.
* The main way people mess up is misjudging the amount of oil the turkey will displace. If overflowing oil comes in contact with an open flame, Thanksgiving suddenly looks more like the Fourth of July.
* Frying a turkey generally takes less than an hour. Make sure someone stays there to watch it and stays focused on it the whole time.
* Keep a fire extinguisher handy, which is not bad advice for anyone who cooks outdoors.
* Save the original oil containers for the used oil, funneling it back after it’s cooled completely. If the oil is filtered, it can be reused once, but you need to refrigerate it if you’re going to keep it for more than a day, and that takes up a lot of room. Think through the oil’s eventual and proper disposal. You won’t want to dump it behind your utility shed.
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to fry it. Take it from the bag and let it sit uncovered.
Crank up the fryer at least 30 minutes before you plan to fry, to give the oil plenty of time to heat. Some models can take up to an hour. Bring the heat to 350°F.
Blot the turkey of any surface moisture and place it in the fry basket, neck/breast end down. (Some baskets have a rod that comes up through the turkey’s cavity to keep it centered.) Cover your hand with a mitt. Using the handle, which is probably detachable, lower the turkey into the hot oil. The oil will bubble and spit a little, and its temperature will drop to 275°F to 300°F. Keep the oil in that temperature range. Fry the turkey for about 4 minutes per pound, about 1 hour, depending on the size of the bird and whether the oil stays closer to 275°F or 300°F. Wipe up any oil splatters as they occur. Watch that bird, but don’t plan on doing anything unless it isn’t staying submerged. In that case, nudge it occasionally with the spider, spoon, or side of the fork.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce if you are using it. Warm the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chile and chili powder and cook for about 2 minutes more, until the spices are fragrant. Pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce and simmer until the mixture has reduced by about half. (The sauce can be made to this point early in the day and reheated before proceeding.)
When the turkey is ready, its skin will have turned a deep mahogany color and should be crackling crisp. The internal temperature when checked with an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of a thigh should read 175°F to 180°F. Don that mitt again and remove the fry basket holding the turkey. Some fryers have a bracket on the pot that allows you to rest the basket up out of the oil so that excess oil drains back into the pot. If not, place the basket on the prepared baking rack. Once oil has drained from the basket, gently turn the turkey out onto the rack and let it sit breast down for 10 to 20 minutes.
While the turkey sits, finish the sauce. Stir in the pecans, remaining butter, and salt to taste. Pour into a gravy boat or other serving dish. Turn the turkey breast side up and arrange on a serving platter. Gather oohs and aahs.
Carve the turkey and serve accompanied by the sauce.
Among the folks we like to thank on Thanksgiving Day are heritage-minded American farmers, like Frank Reese and Tom Delahaunty, who are bringing back venerable breeds such as Bourbon Red turkeys from the verge of extinction. Your local meat market or Slow Food chapter may be able to point you toward a nearby turkey source or you can get one through Heritage Foods (heritagefoodsusa.com, 212-980-6603). Expect the bird to look different from typical supermarket varieties, lighter in weight and thinner through the breast, with more pin feather spots visible. The skin will also be slightly thicker because the turkey lived longer, giving its meat more time to develop flavor and firmness. Start preparations for the turkey at least four hours ahead of when you plan to eat or even the night before.
COOKING METHOD | ROTISSERIE ROASTING
Serves 6 to 8
One 9- to 10-pound heritage turkey such as Bourbon Red or American Bronze
About 2 to 5 tablespoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Unsalted butter, up to 4 tablespoons (½ stick), softened
Season the turkey up to a night before you plan to roast it. Slip your fingers under the turkey’s skin and loosen it with your fingers, being careful not to tear it. Rub the turkey generously inside and out with the salt and butter, especially under the breast skin. If your rotisserie cooks above the flame rather than in front of it, use only 1 tablespoon of butter (to minimize flare-ups) and rub it only under the turkey breast.
Truss the turkey. Cut about a 10-foot-long piece of kitchen twine. Set the turkey breast side up on a work surface. Starting in the middle of your piece of string, wrap it around the ends of both legs, then crisscross the string back and forth around the turkey up to the neck end. Pay special attention to the wing areas, since you want to have the wings flush against the turkey’s body. Tie the string ends together when you have wrapped the rest around the bird. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes.
Fire up the rotisserie, removing the spit first if it’s in place, and heat the grill with the lid closed. Use the set rotisserie temperature, if your grill functions that way, or bring the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Slide one of the prongs onto the far end of the spit, facing the center. Next slide on the turkey, running the spit through the cavity, with the neck end first. Secure the neck end to the prong, trying to get the prongs lodged centrally to help balance the bird’s weight. Then slide on the second end prong and attach it to the turkey’s legs.
Getting a turkey on a spit and then balancing it presents a bigger challenge than doing the same with a chicken. It’s useful, if not essential, to have a helper. Tighten the screws on the prongs especially well, with pliers if necessary, so that the prongs are attached very snugly. If you have a counterweight, it should be set away from the heavier breast side of the bird. Unless a drip pan just completely interferes with the fire for your rotisserie, you’ll definitely want a shallow tray under the turkey to catch the generous and tasty drippings. Make sure you have clearance for the turkey and the pan by watching the bird rotate a few times. You may need to remove the grill’s cooking grates from below. People love to see food roasting on a spit. Try to time the cooking so that the guests get to see the end of the process.
Reposition the turkey in the center of the spit and tighten the bolts on the prongs. If your rotisserie has a counterweight that fits on the spit or its handle, secure it in place, generally angled outward from the backside of the turkey. Attach the spit to the motor and turn on the power. Place a drip pan under the bird to catch the drippings unless your rotisserie sits directly over the fire and the pan would block the heat.
Close the grill cover unless the manufacturer’s instructions say not to. Cook until an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of a thigh reads about 175°F, about 18 to 20 minutes per pound, or about 3 hours. Baste the turkey 3 or 4 times at 45-minute intervals, with pan drippings if you have them or, if not, with chicken or turkey stock. Don’t baste during about the last 30 minutes of cooking, though, so that the skin has a chance to crisp. Avoid opening the grill too many other times, or you can increase the cooking time substantially.
When done, turn off the heat and the rotisserie motor. Let the turkey sit on the spit with the grill cover closed for 10 to 15 minutes. With heatproof mitts, remove the spit from the grill. Unscrew the counterweight and bolts and slide the turkey and prongs off. Rest the turkey on a large cutting board. Pull off the prongs and snip off the twine. Let sit for about 10 minutes more so the juices can settle again, then carve and serve.
Turkey on a Spit with Porcini Butter Your first heritage turkey should be cooked nearly plain so that you can taste the remarkable difference in the meat. After that we wouldn’t recommend overdoing it in the spice department, but you might want a little flavored butter, such as about ½ cup Porcini Butter (page 65) slipped under the skin before spit roasting. This is a good method for boosting the flavor of a basic supermarket turkey, too. Baste with the pan drippings or poultry stock 3 times at 45-minute intervals. Don’t baste during the last 30 or so minutes of cooking so that the skin can crisp.
Wild Turkey on a Spit Wild turkey, even farm raised, is one lean bird. It’s good for spit roasting as long as you like gamier, denser meat. It’s now moderately easy to find fresh wild turkeys in November and December and frozen ones at other times of the year. Get one in the 9- to 10-pound range. Use the same amount of salt and butter (depending on the type of rotisserie). Pop a quartered medium onion and about a dozen bruised juniper berries into its cavity before trussing. Pour ½ cup turkey or chicken stock into the drip pan before you begin to cook (unless a drip pan would block the heat source). It will create a little steam and also keep the smaller amount of natural drippings from burning. Baste at 30-minute intervals and cook the turkey only to 165°F to 170°F (a bit less than for domesticated birds). Discard the onion and juniper berries from the cavity before carving the turkey into very thin slices.
You need a really long day to barbecue a whole turkey, but the gratitude of your friends and family will last far longer. We select a bird on the smallish side so that we don’t have to smoke it overnight To help keep the meat juicy, we developed a cheesecloth wrap many years ago, and we still use it, even when barbecuing in a water smoker or other moisture-retaining device. Turkey, like other poultry, smokes especially well over a fruit wood such as cherry or apple.
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
Serves 8 to 10
Injection Liquid
½ cup garlic-flavored oil
½ cup turkey or chicken stock, dry white wine, or beer
1 tablespoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
One 10- to 12-pound turkey
Maple Salt and Pepper
¼ cup maple sugar
2 tablespoons coarse salt either kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper, preferably Tellicherry
Turkey Mop, optional
2 cups turkey or chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine or beer or additional turkey or chicken stock
¼ cup vegetable oil
The night before you plan to barbecue, place a large plastic bag on a work surface. Place the turkey on the bag, arranging it so that it will be easy to pull the bag over the bird eventually. Loosen the skin on the turkey.
Combine the injection liquid ingredients in a small deep bowl or oversized glass. Mix until the salt dissolves. With a kitchen syringe, inject the mixture deep into the turkey in a half dozen places, moving the needle around in each spot to shoot the liquid in several directions. Inject the greatest amount into the breast.
Friday-After-Thanksgiving Soup and Sandwich Fest
Soup with diced leftover turkey, green chile, rice, and chickpeas
Carolina-Style Chopped Turkey Sandwiches
Turkey Sandwiches with Cranberry and Cream Cheese
Marinated Carrots (page 87)
Escarole salad
Praline Bars (page 521)
Prepare the dry rub, stirring the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the rub if you plan to baste the turkey. Massage the turkey with the rub inside and out, working it as far as possible under the skin without tearing the skin. Place the turkey in the bag, seal, and refrigerate overnight.
Before you begin to barbecue, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
Fire up the smoker, bringing the temperature to 180°F to 220°F.
Cut a 4- to 5-foot length of cheesecloth and dampen it thoroughly with water. Wrap the bird in the cheesecloth and tie the ends.
Transfer the turkey to the smoker, breast side down (you should be able to feel the breast bone through the cheesecloth). Plan on a total cooking time of 1¼ to 1½ hours per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 175°F to 180°F. Wet the cheesecloth down with more water at 50-minute intervals in a wood-burning pit or as appropriate for your style of smoker.
After about 6 hours, remove the cheesecloth, snipping it with scissors if necessary, and discard it. If possible in your smoker, you can now baste the turkey with the mop for the remainder of its cooking time if desired. If you plan to baste, combine the mop ingredients with 1 cup water and the reserved 2 tablespoons rub in a saucepan and warm the mixture over low heat For the remaining cooking time, mop every 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit or as appropriate for your style of smoker.
When the turkey is done, remove it from the smoker (washable mitts are the way to go) and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes before carving. Generally, the very smoky skin is discarded rather than eaten. We save it for adding character to simmering beans and hearty stocks.
Smoked Turkey Breast We do this more often than a whole turkey to reduce the cooking time. Substitute a 5- to 7-pound bone-in, skin-on turkey breast Use about a 3-foot length of cheesecloth. Plan on a total cooking time of 55 to 65 minutes per pound and remove the cheesecloth after about 3 hours of smoking. Mop after the cheesecloth is removed. We like this best after it’s cooled naturally, wrapped and refrigerated overnight, and served slightly chilled.
Carolina-Style Chopped Turkey Sandwich Use leftover smoked turkey or turkey breast for a sandwich in Carolina pork barbecue style. Pile at least ½ cup warm chopped turkey meat on a spongy white bun, then top with Southern Pig-Pickin’ Sauce (page 52) and Lexington Red Coleslaw (page 476). If you’re still hungry, have another.
Turkey Sandwiches with Cranberry and Cream Cheese The official after-holiday sandwich in our home. Spread a little mayo on one slice of soft sourdough bread and a good smear of cream cheese on another. Load one of the slices with thinly sliced smoked turkey or turkey breast, a healthy spoonful of leftover cranberry sauce or relish, and a pair of crisp lettuce leaves. Top with the other slice of bread, halve, and enjoy.
Among the glories of Mexican cuisine is the family of complex sauces called moles. Nothing can surpass one ground and mixed by hand from seeds, spices, chiles, and sometimes chocolate, but today you can find good store-bought versions. Our favorites come from the Mexican company Mayordomo and are available at a growing number of markets and from the Santa Fe School of Cooking (santafeschoolofcooking.com, 800-982-4688). Mole rojo, the color of bricks, is deeply fruity from guajillo chiles and the inky negro sauce smoky from mulatos. Because of the numerous flavors already present in the sauces, they are best with poultry simply salted and oiled. If you can’t resist the urge to fiddle, accompany the dish with the cashew relish from page 73, made without the curry.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
6 turkey cutlets, about 4 to 5 ounces each and a shade under ½ inch thick
Coarse salt: kosher or sea salt for mole negro, Smoked Salt (page 54) or other smoked salt for mole rojo
Vegetable oil spray
About ⅓ cup mole paste, either negro or rojo
About ⅔ cup chicken stock
Toasted sesame seeds, diced red-ripe tomato, orange sections, fresh cilantro leaves, or cubed avocado, optional
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Sprinkle the turkey cutlets lightly with salt, then spray generously with oil and let sit at room temperature.
Place the mole in a small saucepan. Smash the paste with the back of a fork to break it up, and add the chicken stock. Warm over medium heat, continuing to mash until the sauce is smooth. The intensity of moles can vary, as can their thickness, so adjust if needed to make a sauce that is easily spoonable but short of thin and runny. Keep the sauce warm.
Grill the turkey cutlets uncovered over medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes total. Turn onto each side twice, rotating the cutlets a half turn each time for crisscross grill marks. The turkey is done when white throughout but still juicy.
Place a cutlet on each plate, then top with a couple of spoonfuls of sauce. Garnish as you wish, with one or more of the choices to add a little color to the dish, and serve.
Grilled Chicken Breasts with Quick Mole Sauce We like the slightly meatier character of turkey with the hearty mole sauce, but you can substitute small boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer. After pounding to even thickness and seasoning, grill uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn onto each side twice, rotating the breasts each time to get crisscross grill marks. Serve as directed.
Grilled Turkey Cutlets with Mojo and Rum Skip the mole paste and chicken stock. Instead, make the herb- and sour orange-flavored latino Mojo (page 60), spike it with a couple of splashes of light or gold rum, and use to marinate the cutlets for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
These are really pretty on the plate, with the burnished surface encircling the snowy turkey breast meat. If you have a favorite rub with a little heat and sweet in it, you can substitute it successfully for the spice mixture in this recipe. Make the colorful relish earlier in the day if you wish.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6 or more
Black-Eyed Pea and Corn Relish
1½ cups fresh corn kernels
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained
3 tablespoons finely diced green bell pepper or a combination of green and red
3 tablespoons finely diced red onion
¼ teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
2 teaspoons cider vinegar, or more to taste
Several dashes of Tabasco sauce
Salt to taste
Pork Chop Willy’s Grilling Rub
3 tablespoons sweet paprika, preferably Spanish
3 tablespoons smoked paprika or additional sweet paprika
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1½ teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
3 turkey tenderloins, 10 to 12 ounces each
Vegetable oil spray
Prepare the relish. Combine the corn and oil in a shallow saucepan. Cover and sweat the mixture over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the corn is just tender. Spoon into a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and lightly toss together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Prepare the dry rub, stirring the spices together in a medium bowl. Pat the dry rub onto the turkey tenderloins, then spray generously with oil and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Arrange the turkey tenderloins with their thinner tails over the cooler edge of the fire. Grill the turkey tenderloins uncovered for about 12 to 14 minutes total. Turn on all sides at least twice, rolling them over if rounded enough to roll. The tenderloins should be thick enough to pierce with an instant-read thermometer, which should reach 170°F when done.
Let the tenderloins sit covered for 10 minutes and plate portions of the relish. Slice the tenderloins and fan the slices on the edge of the relish. Serve immediately.
The recent aggressive marketing of turkey parts has greatly eased the challenge of cooking the big bird. Both turkey cutlets and tenderloins are boneless, skinless breast cuts that can be found regularly in meat departments today. A cutlet is a slim slice, usually 3 to 6 ounces, cut across the grain. A tenderloin is a whole muscle cut from the inside center of the breast and typically runs 7 to 15 ounces in weight. We use cutlets when we want a modest individual portion per person. Tenderloins are great for slicing into medallions.
a Ten-Year-Old’s Birthday Party
Chips, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, and carrot sticks with yogurt for dipping
Pterodactyl Turkey Legs
Buffalo Rings (page 433)
Strawberry Lemonade (page 83) or Shirley Temples (page 84). but call them something different
Cake and ice cream
Bring this favorite of state and county fairs to your backyard. Wrapping your fist around one of these always feels fun and at least a shade primordial, like maybe it really came from a dinosaur rather than America’s Thanksgiving bird.
COOKING METHOD | BARBECUE SMOKING
Serves 6
6 turkey legs
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Smoky Poultry Rub
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons smoked or sweet paprika, preferably Spanish
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon Smoked Salt (page 34), commercial smoked salt, or coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon onion powder
1½ teaspoons crumbled dried sage
1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
Mop, optional
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Black Magic (page 53), optional
At least 4 hours before you plan to barbecue, and preferably the night before, begin preparations. Loosen the skin on the turkey legs by running your fingers under it as far as possible without tearing the skin.
Whisk together the Worcestershire sauce and oil in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the dry rub spices. Coat your Fingers with the wet mixture and rub it well over the legs, getting as much as you can under the skin. Then sprinkle on the dry seasonings liberally, again rubbing as much under the skin as possible. Reserve any remaining dry rub if you will be making the mop to baste the legs. Place the legs in a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight
Fire up the smoker, bringing the temperature to 180°F to 220°F.
Remove the turkey legs from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
If you plan to baste the legs, combine the mop ingredients and the reserved dry rub with ½ cup water in a small saucepan and warm the mixture over low heat
Transfer the turkey legs to the smoker. Cook until the legs are very tender and the juices run clear, 3½ to 4 hours. Mop the legs at 45-minute intervals in a wood-burning pit or as appropriate in your style of smoker. Serve the legs hot, to be eaten with Fingers. Brush on Black Magic if you wish.
Cornish game hens, also called Rock Cornish game hens, are just small whole chickens, neither Cornish nor gamy nor necessarily female. When stuffed chockfull of wild rice, cranberries, and pecans and served over a pool of cranberry-orange vinaigrette, they make a great change of pace from turkey on Thanksgiving. We perfume them with a little smoke from smoldering wood chips or chunks, perhaps hickory, cherry, oak, pecan, or a combination.
COOKING METHOD | COVERED GRILL SMOKE ROASTING
Serves 6 or more
Paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
6 Cornish game hens, about 1½ pounds each
Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette
¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt, or more to taste
½ cup fruity olive oil
¼ cup chopped dried cranberries
Freshly ground black pepper
Stuffing
⅓ cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, preferably unsalted
½ cup chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cooked wild rice or half cooked wild rice and half cooked brown rice
⅓ cup chopped pecan pieces
3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or parsley
3 tablespoons chicken or turkey stock
About 3 cups wood chips or chunks, soaked
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Stir the paste ingredients together in a small bowl. Loosen the skin on the hens, being careful to avoid tearing the skins. Massage with the seasoning paste inside and out, rubbing over and under the skin. Let sit at room temperature.
Prepare the vinaigrette. Whisk the orange juice concentrate, vinegar, and salt together in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil and add the cranberries. Season with more salt if you wish and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until serving time.
For the stuffing, combine the cranberries with the orange juice concentrate in a small bowl. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté briefly until soft. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients, including the cranberry-orange vinaigrette. Spoon the stuffing loosely into each hen. Tie each hen’s legs together with kitchen twine.
Fire up the grill for covered smoke roasting, creating a hot fire on one half of the grill and leaving the other half unheated. In case you are working with a gas grill with three burners, turn two burners to high and leave the third off. If your gas grill has two burners, one in front and one in back, make the fire in the back portion of the grill. In a charcoal grill, build a hot fire under one side of the grate and leave the other half unheated.
Place an inexpensive portable oven thermometer on the cool half of the cooking grate; don’t rely on your grill’s built-in thermometer, because you want to measure the temperature only on the unheated side. Close the grill and bring the temperature to approximately 400°F. (Some low-powered gas grills may not reach the ideal 400°F. If you have waited an appropriate amount of time for your grill to heat fully, and the temperature has stopped climbing, note the temperature. For every 25 degrees under 400°F, plan to add at least 5 minutes to the overall cooking time of 40 to 50 minutes.)
On a charcoal grill, toss the wood chips directly over the coals. If your gas grill has a smoking box, place the chips in it If not, seal the chips loosely in a foil package, poking about a dozen small holes in it.
Preferably wearing heatproof, washable mitts, place the hens directly on the cooking grate just behind the thermometer, breast side down. Close the cover.
Plan on a total cooking time of 40 to 50 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the hens breast side up and rotate so that the hens cook evenly. Brush with the melted butter to gloss the skin and reduce the heat to 350°F. (On a gas grill, simply turn the heat down; on a charcoal grill, close the vents and spread out the charcoal as necessary.) Cook until the skins are crisp and well browned, and an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of a thigh reads 170°F to 175°F.
Let the hens sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Game Hens with Bacon, Apricot, and Onion Compote Eliminate the stuffing, but rub the game hens with the seasoning paste in the main recipe. Sauté a compote to serve over or on the side of the hens. Fry 1 cup diced bacon until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Add 1 cup frozen pearl onions and 1 cup halved dried apricots to the drippings and sauté until the onions have thawed and are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1 cup store-bought veal demi-glace or reduce 2 cups chicken stock to 1 cup and use it instead. Stir in about 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar and cook over medium heat until the liquid is thick and reduced to a few tablespoons. Stir in the bacon and ½ cup pecan halves and season with salt, coarsely ground pepper, and a bit of cider vinegar. Serve the compote warm.
Curried Game Hens with Bacon, Apricot, and Onion Compote A variation of the preceding variation. Add ½ teaspoon curry powder to the seasoning paste and ½ to 1 teaspoon of the powder to the compote.
Duck breasts have so much fat that you want to eliminate some of it before cooking. Remove any fat bits and blobs hanging off the edges of the breasts, then shear the skin layer over the breast down to about ¼ inch. A small sharp knife works best for this. Scoring the remaining skin on the breasts in a diamond pattern helps the skin crisp and lets the fat render more evenly. Start the breasts skin side down and grill longer on that side so that the skin crisps while fat melts and drains away. Watch the cooking carefully to keep the pyrotechnics to a minimum.
Here’s another perfect use for the rotisserie, though it only works for the most common models that face the flame instead of those that sit above the fire. The excess fat on a duck melts away while it turns, but not before it’s done a fine job of basting the meat internally and keeping it moist The skin crisps well, too, particularly when lacquered with a honey-based glaze.
COOKING METHOD | ROTISSERIE ROASTING
Serves 4
One 5- to 5½-pound duck
About 1½ tablespoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 whole head of garlic, papery skins removed, halved horizontally
Honey-Coriander Lacquer
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground
At least 1½ hours and up to a day ahead of roasting the duck, loosen the skin all over the duck, gently nudging your fingers down under it, including the skin on the drumsticks. Be careful to avoid tearing the skin. With a sharp fork, like one from a carving set, prick the duck skin all over, at least a couple dozen times. Puncture only the skin and not the flesh below it. Rub the duck with a generous amount of salt, rubbing most of it under the skin and inside the cavity.
After rubbing, place the garlic head in the body cavity.
Truss the duck, which ensures even cooking and keeps the bird from flopping around on the spit. Cut about a 5-foot-long piece of kitchen twine. Set the duck breast side up on a work surface. Starting in the middle of your piece of string, wrap it around the ends of both legs, then crisscross the string back and forth around the duck up to the neck end. Pay special attention to the wing areas, since you want to have the wings flush against the duck’s body. Tie the string ends together when you have wrapped the rest around the bird. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to a full day to allow the salt to season the meat. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before proceeding.
Prepare the lacquer, first warming the ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat Stir to combine, then cool and reserve.
Fire up the rotisserie, removing the spit first if it’s in place, and heat the grill with the lid closed. Use the set rotisserie temperature, if your grill functions that way, or bring the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Slide one of the prongs onto the far end of the spit, facing the center. Next slide on the duck, running the spit through the cavity, with the legs first Secure the legs to the prong. Slide on the second end prong and attach it to the duck’s legs.
Reposition the duck in the center of the spit and tighten the bolts on the prongs. If your rotisserie has a counterweight that fits on the spit or its handle, secure it in place, angled toward the duck’s flatter backside. Attach the spit to the motor. Place a shallow drip pan under the duck. Turn on the power.
Close the grill cover unless the manufacturer’s instructions say otherwise. Cook until an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of a thigh reads 170°F, 1½ to 1¾ hours, depending on the rotisserie, duck, and how often you open the grill. Check out the drip pan each time you open the cover and dump off some of the drippings if the pan starts to fill up. After about 1 hour of cooking, spoon a couple of tablespoons of drippings from the pan into the lacquer and quickly brush the duck with it. Brush with lacquer again after about 20 minutes more. (You want to brush it soon enough that the sauce has a chance to caramelize and crisp up, but not long enough to burn.) We prefer this duck cooked to about 170°F, leaving a touch of pink. If you prefer it more done, continue cooking until it reaches 180°F.
With heatproof mitts, remove the spit from the grill. Unscrew the counterweight and bolts and slide the duck and prongs off. Rest the duck on a large cutting board. Pull off the prongs and snip off the twine. Let sit for about 10 minutes, so the juices can settle, then carve and serve.
One Really Fine Southwestern Duck Sandwich Make a mango salsa. Combine 1 diced large mango, 1 diced medium tomato, 3 tablespoons minced red onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 or 2 small fresh green chiles such as serrano or jalapeño, and, if you like, a tablespoon or so minced fresh cilantro. Add about 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and toss again. Lay thin slices of the duck on warm flour tortillas or other thin, compatibly flavored flatbreads. Top with some mango salsa. Add some cooked black beans if you like and maybe a drizzle or two of Texas Ranch Barbecue Sauce (page 51) or Texas Ranchero Sauce (page 51).
At our market a pair of individual boned duck breasts sometimes costs more than a whole duck. If you find this as well, you might want to buy the entire bird and ask the butcher to bone out the breasts and give you the rest for soup, stock, and dishes like jambalaya.
We concocted this dish one summer for culinary adventures we lead annually at La Combe en Périgord in southwestern France, a region that dotes on ducks. Armagnac abounds in the area as well, and cherries were in season, making the idea a natural. Be sure you’ve got plenty of grate space to move the duck breasts around when flare-ups occur, as they always do with the fatty meat.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
6 individual boneless, skin-on duck breasts, about 6 to 7 ounces each
Dry Rub
1 teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika, preferably Spanish
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
Sauce
4 large shallots, minced (at least ⅓ cup)
2¼ to 2½ cups fresh, frozen, or canned pitted cherries, with juice, about 1¼ pounds
½ cup Armagnac or brandy
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¾ cup duck or chicken stock
2 to 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Brown sugar, optional
1 tablespoon butter, preferably unsalted
At least 1 hour and up to the night before grilling, prepare the duck breasts. If the skin is any thicker than ¼ inch, trim it to that thickness with a sharp knife, shearing off portions as needed. Also slice off any portions of skin or fat that hang beyond the top of the breasts. (Save the skin and fat trimmings, finely chopped, to render the fat.) Make crisscross cuts down through the remaining skin on the breasts. Make the cuts about ½ inch apart, through the skin but not into the flesh. This will help the dry rub absorb initially, and during cooking it promotes gradual and easy rendering of fat.
Prepare the dry rub, combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve ½ teaspoon of the spice mixture for the sauce. Massage the dry rub into the duck breasts, rubbing it over and under them. Refrigerate them covered unless you plan to grill in the next hour. Let them sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before proceeding.
Place the reserved duck fat and skin in a medium saucepan. Over medium-low heat, render the fat from the duck until you have about 2 tablespoons of melted fat. Add the shallots to the fat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft, then stir in the reserved dry rub. If using fresh cherries, add them to the shallots, cook briefly until the cherries have softened and released a good bit of juice, and then add the Armagnac and soy sauce. If the cherries are frozen or canned, they will already have plenty of juice, so add the Armagnac and soy at the same time as the cherries. Stir in the stock and continue simmering until reduced by about one-fourth. Scrape the sauce into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree it. Return the sauce to the pan and taste, adding vinegar to taste and a bit of brown sugar if needed for balance. Continue reducing the sauce to about 1½ cups. Whisk in the butter just before removing from the heat.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Transfer the duck breasts to the grill skin side down. Grill the duck uncovered over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, rotating once, or until the skin is deep golden brown and crisp. Watch for the inevitable flare-ups, moving the breasts away from the flame as necessary. Turn the breasts over and grill skin side up for 2 to 3 minutes longer for medium-rare.
Spoon a small pool of sauce onto each plate. Slice the duck thinly, so that each piece has a bit of the crisp skin, and fan the slices over the sauce. Serve hot.
Duck Breasts with Port Currant Sauce Modify the sauce. Start it as directed with the duck fat and skin, softening the shallots and mixing in the dry rub. Skip the cherries, Armagnac, and soy sauce. Instead pour in 2 cups decent but not great port with ¼ cup crème de cassis. Then continue the sauce as directed with ¾ cup duck or chicken stock, 2 to 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar, and 1 bay leaf. Reduce to about 1½ cups, then season with salt and black pepper. Add the brown sugar if you wish and whisk in the butter or 1 tablespoon walnut oil just before serving. Discard the bay leaf.
a Fall Duck Dinner
Gold and Glittering Apple Cider (page 81)
Duck Breasts with Port Currant Sauce
Sautéed red cabbage
Grill-Roasted Caramel Apples (page 508)
Pinot Noir
Duck Breasts with Pomegranate-Rosemary Sauce Modify the sauce. Start it as directed, with the duck fat and skin, softening the shallots and mixing in the dry rub. Skip the cherries, Armagnac, and soy sauce. Instead, pour in 2 cups pomegranate juice and ¼ cup pomegranate molasses. Then continue the sauce as directed with ¾ cup duck or chicken stock, just 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, and three or four 3-inch fresh rosemary sprigs. Reduce to about 1½ cups, remove the rosemary, then season with salt and black pepper. Add the brown sugar if you wish and whisk in the butter just before serving.
Many people think of quail as a restaurant dish, but we would rather grill the little game birds at home, where we can eat them with our fingers. Whether yours come from a hunter or the tamer counter of your local supermarket, they’re nicely succulent after an apple bath.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
12 quail, bone-in or semiboneless, 4 to 6 ounces each
Apple Sage Marinade
1 cup apple juice or cider
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage or 1 tablespoon crumbled dried
1½ teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Fresh sage sprigs, optional
At least 2½ hours and up to the night before grilling, loosen the skin on the quail a bit, just gently tugging it a little at the edges and lodging one of your little fingers between the flesh and fragile skin. It’s much thinner than chicken skin, so it can’t tolerate the heavier-duty treatment you might exert on a bigger bird. Place the quail in one or more large zippered plastic bags.
Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour the marinade over the quail, seal, and toss back and forth to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Drain the quail, discarding the marinade. Pop a couple of sage leaves into each quail’s cavity if you like.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test). Grill the quail uncovered for 9 to 12 minutes total. Turn on all sides to cook evenly. They are ready when the meat is opaque and the skin brown and crisp. Cooked quail should remain rosier than chicken. Serve over more sage sprigs if you wish.
Quail with Apple Sage Marinade and Figs Fill the cavity of each quail with half a fresh fig before you begin to grill. The fig adds flavor to the quail and the quail to the fig. It’s a win-win situation for the diners.
Quail with Apple-Tequila-Sage Marinade Omit the cider vinegar from the sauce and substitute ¼ cup gold or silver tequila. In this case, save the drained marinade and boil it vigorously for several minutes, then use it to baste the quail once while they’re grilling. Baste early enough that the skins have a chance to crisp up before you remove the quail from the grill.
Coffee-Rubbed Quail with Texas Ranch Barbecue Sauce For a more robust seasoning, eliminate the marinade and instead rub the little birds with ground coffee and other spices. Make a hearty dry rub from 3 tablespoons coarsely ground coffee beans, 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 1½ teaspoons coarse salt, and ½ teaspoon brown sugar. Serve with coffee-enriched Texas Ranch Barbecue Sauce (page 51).
Cinnamon Quail with Harissa Sauce Use the marinade, but eliminate the sage and instead add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Accompany the quail with store-bought harissa, the Moroccan hot sauce. A little goes a long way.
As with most poultry, we prefer to use fruit wood for smoking quail. To brighten the taste and add some texture and color, too, we shower the birds at the end with a chopped mixture of hazelnuts and orange zest
COOKING METHOD | SMOKING
Serves 6 or more
12 quail, bone-in or semiboneless, 4 to 6 ounces each, halved
Flavorful olive oil
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Mop, optional
1 cup chicken stock
Juice of 1 large orange (remove the zest before juicing the fruit and reserve it)
1 tablespoon flavorful olive oil
1 plump garlic clove, minced
Topping
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Zest of 1 orange, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint or basil
2 teaspoons flaky salt, such as Maldon or French fleur de sel
Fire up the smoker, bringing the temperature to 200°F to 250°F.
Rub the quail with oil, then salt them lightly.
If you are going to use the mop, stir the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Warm the mop over low heat.
Transfer the quail to the smoker, skin side up, and mop them every 20 to 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit or as appropriate for your style of smoker. The quail are ready when they are well browned with legs that wiggle easily at the joints, about 1¼ to 1½ hours. The meat will be a bit pinker than chicken.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping, stirring together the hazelnuts, orange zest, and mint. Then mix in the salt lightly to avoid crushing the crystals.
Serve the quail hot, 1 or 2 to a portion, showered with the hazelnut and orange topping.
In Texas and parts of the Deep South, doves are almost as common as chickens on the plate during the fall hunting season. Bacon keeps the lean and mild meat moist and adds its delectable taste and texture as well. The same preparation also works for quail and other small game birds.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Serves 6
Game Bird Dry Rub
1 tablespoon pickling spice, ground with a mortar and pestle or in a spice mill
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1½ teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of cayenne
12 boneless, skinless dove breasts
12 strips bacon
a Texas Game Dinner
Tomato Martinis (page 77)
Bacon-Wrapped Dove Breasts
Peppered Buffalo Steaks (page 405)
Sautéed collard greens
Cheddar-Jalapeño Potato Mash (page 488)
Praline Bars (page 521) with vanilla whipped cream
Prepare the dry rub, mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub the mixture heavily over the dove breasts. Wrap each breast with a bacon strip, covering it fairly completely, then securing with a toothpick. Let sit at room temperature.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the bacon-wrapped breasts uncovered over medium heat for about 10 to 12 minutes, turning and shifting as needed to brown the bacon on all sides while avoiding serious flare-ups. Check one breast to see that the meat is cooked through and no longer translucent. Remove the toothpicks and serve warm, 2 to a serving.