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3 garlic cloves
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2 T. stemmed fresh rosemary leaves
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2 T. stemmed fresh sage leaves
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2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
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½ c. coarse salt (Kosher or sea)
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4 whole baby chickens, poussins, or game hens (each 1 – 1 ¼ lbs.)
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OR 2 whole chickens (each 3 ½ - 4 lbs.)
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About ½ c. best quality extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
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2 lemons, cut into wedges for serving
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Rosemary branches and sage leaves for garnish, optional
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2-4 bricks wrapped in aluminum foil, or metal grill presses
Place the garlic, rosemary, sage, and pepper in a food processor
and run the machine in short bursts to finely chop. Add the salt and
process to mix. Transfer the rub to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. This
makes about ¾ c. herbed salt rub, more that you’ll need for this
recipe. Leftover rub is excellent to use when grilling other meats.
Remove and discard the fat just inside the neck and body cavities
of the chickens. Rinse inside and out and pat dry. Spatchcock the
chickens (see instructions below). Generously season the birds on both
sides with the herbed salt.
To grill: The direct grilling
method is traditional, but using the indirect method produces a crisp,
moist bird without the risks of flare-ups or burning.
The
direct method: Set up the grill for direct grilling (the chickens will
be placed directly over the coals) and prepare/preheat the coals to
medium. Leave one section of the grill bare for a safety zone. Brush and
oil the grill grate. Arrange the birds skin side down on the hot grate
at a diagonal to the bars. Place the bricks or grill presses on top of
the birds.
Grill the chickens until they are crisp and golden
brown on the bottom, 8-12 minutes per side for the small birds, 12-20
for full-size chickens. Use an instant-read thermometer to test for
doneness, inserting it into the thickest part of the thigh without
touching a bone. The internal temperature should be about 170ºF. Give
each bird a quarter turn after four minutes on each side to create
handsome crosshatch grill marks.
The indirect method: Set up the
grill for indirect grilling (The coals should be pushed to the sides of
the grill, leaving the center empty.) Place a drip pan in the center
and prepare/preheat the coals to medium. Arrange the birds skin-side up
in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat and
place the weights on top. Cover the grill and cook until golden brown
and cooked through, turning once, 30-40 minutes for small birds and 40
minutes-1 hour for full-size chickens.
Serve generously
drizzled with olive oil and garnished with lemon wedges and rosemary
branches and sage leaves if desired.
To Spatchcock a Chicken:
Turn
the chicken breast-side down. Using poultry shears, sturdy kitchen
scissors, or a sharp knife and starting at the neck end, make two
lengthwise cuts along the backbone, one on each side, from the neck to
the tail.
Cut out the backbone and save it for making stock, or
discard.
Open the chicken up like a book. Run the tip of a paring
knife along the breastbone and cartilage below the breastbone.
Run
your thumbs along both sides of the breastbone and white cartilage,
then pull them out.
Using a paring knife, cut a 1-inch slit in the
skin between each leg and the back end (bottom) of the breast.
Insert
the knob end of each drumstick through the hole closest to it, so that
the chicken lays flat.
Tuck the wingtips behind the wings or cut
them off and add them to the backbone for stock.
