When I visited my parents last week, I volunteered to cook dinner one evening. I had recently prepared a barbequed chicken recipe by Tyler Florence for Yankee and me, and I wanted my parents to get a chance to experience its goodness, too. This barbequed chicken is different from most. It is first soaked in a brine for a few hours, then grilled for 10 minutes, and then it goes in the oven for another 45 minutes. It’s full of flavor, a little bit messy and gooey, and probably the best barbequed chicken I have ever eaten. We saved time by using bottled barbeque sauce rather than making the sauce in the recipe. If you are planning your July 4th menu, you might want to add this to your list.
BARBEQUED CHICKEN
Source – Tyler Florence
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a large knife
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 chicken legs and thighs, still connected, bone in, skin on, about 10 ounces each
For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme. Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you’ve only got 15 minutes, that’s fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.
Barbeque Sauce
Note – We used bottled barbeque sauce.
1 slice bacon
1 bunch fresh thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika if available
Freshly ground black pepper
Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving along side the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basting the legs.
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes. Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. Serve with extra sauce.
This barbeque chicken recipe is great for eating outdoors, on a picnic, or with your fine china in the dining room. You might want to serve it with these sides: red potato and dill salad, strawberry, almond and pea salad, and lemon rosemary muffins. This is the perfect drink to accompany it, and serve this for dessert.
Have a wonderful week-end. Thanks so much for stopping in.
Cheers!
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