You can roast a full chicken in a covered grill, but for open grilling you can't cook more than half a bird. After a long soak in lemon juice and rosemary, these halves add up to more than a whole.
SERVES 4 HEARTY EATERS
LEMON-ROSEMARY PASTE
| ¼ | cup packed fresh rosemary sprigs |
| ⅓ | cup olive oil |
| Zest and juice of 1 lemon | |
| 1½ | tablespoons chopped onion |
| 2 | garlic cloves |
| 1½ | teaspoons kosher salt or other coarse salt |
| 2 | 3-pound to 3¼-pound whole chickens, halved |
| 1 | lemon, cut in wedges |
| Fresh rosemary sprigs and lemon slices, optional, for garnish |
At least 3 hours and up to the night before you plan to grill the chicken, prepare the paste. Purée the rosemary with the oil in a blender, preferably, or a food processor. Let the rosemary steep in the oil for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain the mixture to remove the tough little leaves. Return the oil to the blender, add the remaining ingredients, and purée. The paste will be somewhat soupy.
Coat each chicken half thoroughly with the paste, rubbing it inside and out and working it as far as possible under the skin without tearing the skin. Place the chicken in a plastic bag and refrigerate.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit covered at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Drain the chicken and blot any excess moisture from the surface.
Transfer the halves to the grill and arrange them skin-side up. Grill uncovered over medium heat for about 20 minutes, without turning, then cook an additional 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes, ending with the chicken skin-side down for a final crisping. (You want the chicken skin to face the grill enough to render its fat and brown, but not burn.) Watch for flare-ups, shifting the halves away from the flame if necessary. Squeeze the lemon wedges over the chicken's cavity about halfway through the cooking. If grilling covered, cook the chicken starting skin-side up over medium heat for about 15 minutes, without turning, then cook an additional 25 to 30 minutes total, turning three times and squeezing the lemon wedges over the chicken's cavity about halfway through the cooking.
Arrange the chicken on a platter. Garnish with rosemary and lemon slices, if you wish, and serve immediately. We would offer the dish with Amazing Aspic or A+ Baked Pasta on the side.
TECHNIQUE TIP: While the flavor of this paste is intense, like other surface seasonings it leaves a lighter kiss on food than you might expect. For additional gusto, inject some of the seasonings into the chicken with a kitchen syringe, an oversized needle that looks like something a visiting vet left behind. You'll need to modify the paste's preparation a little, first combining just the strained rosemary-scented oil with the lemon juice. Push down the plunger of the syringe to expel air and then dip the needle into the liquid. Draw the plunger back slowly until the syringe fills and then inject the liquid deep into the chicken breasts and thighs, using up about three-quarters of the liquid. Mix the remaining liquid with the other paste ingredients and rub it both over and under the skin. Be sure to clean the syringe after each use with hot, soapy water.