This blogger found my website and when I visited hers, this recipe made my mouth water!  We are both fans of the Big Green Egg smoker and I’m happy to share this delicious and simple method for grilling chicken on the Egg.  Please visit her site and check out some of her other wonderful pasta and seafood recipes (mussels are her specialty.!)  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Roaster chicken, 5-6 pounds
• Salt and pepper
• Your favorite seasonings (i.e, BBQ, Cajun, Italian seasoning, paprika … or your own homemade rub.
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• 3 tbs. of butter, softened

Method:

Cut the backbone out of the chicken with kitchen shears or a knife. Turn it over and flatten it, so that it will lay flat. Gently slide your finger under the skin, loosening it from the breast and thigh meat, so that you can slip the compound butter in.  You can also ask your butcher to butterfly the bird.  Just make sure you cut it at the back so the breast stays in tact.

If you have planned ahead, you can stick the bird, uncovered, in the fridge, overnight. This will make for crispier skin.

Mix garlic with softened butter and a little olive oil. Distribute the butter mixture underneath the skin and on the outside of the bird, massaging the butter as much as possible into the nooks and crannies of the bird. If you need a little more, just rub the bird with a little more olive oil.

Season the bird, both sides, and in and around the wings, by sprinkling it generously with salt. Add pepper and other seasonings of your choosing.

Heat the Big Green Egg or grill to 350 degrees. Cook skin side down for 20 minutes (direct heat in the Egg; if you’re using a grill, you can start on direct heat and if it starts burning or browning too fast, put it on indirect heat). Flip over bird and cook another 30-40 minutes or until center of breast reaches 160 degrees. I always use a thermometer, which makes for easy and accurate cooking.

If you’re using an Egg, remember to keep the lid closed as much as possible. Don’t keep opening and closing it, as the greatest benefit of the Egg lies in its shape and its ability to cook evenly and maintain consistent temperatures when it is closed.

When the chicken is done, let it rest for at least ten minutes, then carve and serve.  You won’t believe how juicy the breast meat is!!  Enjoy!