Rotisserie Chicken…that’s right! And you thought you couldn’t do that at home. Well, you can’t, unless you have some specialized equipment like the the Faberware Rotisserie FSR150 that we use in the winter, or a rotisserie that attaches to your grill like what is used in the post below. Since I want a very large carbon footprint, we will cook the birds outside on the smoker.

I got these two chickens from my farmer; I try to buy as much produce and eggs as I can from him because its cheaper, local, and much better quality. These two birds were making me eggs last year, production is down, so apply the old Soviet proverb. It goes like this: ‘He who does not work, does not eat’. I have changed it slightly for these chickens as ‘She who does not produce eggs, gets eaten… Lets prep two 5 pound chickens for the rotisserie:

First, Stuff some aromatics in the bird’s cavity like garlic, thyme, rosemary, whatever you like. Then set the first tine on the rod securely then add a chicken, add another tine (one chicken held by two tines). Add another tine, another chicken then another tine. Like this –>chicken<– –>chicken<– . Tie the legs and wings up so they don’t flop around on the spit and inject the chicken with your favorite marinade.

Injection is an option, you can use a rub under the skin as well; or both! . I used an injection this time. Injection is tricky because the needle will clog if there are particles in the marinade. For beginners, try any of Ton Chachere’s injectable marinades and experiment from there. Insert the needle and inject as you pull the needle out on multiple sites to get the marinade out there evenly.

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This rotisserie set up is available at any hardware store and can be adapted to just about any grill. Make some fire with brickets. Smoking the chicken here is pretty pointless as the skin is still on, a little smoke from some apple or even some pecan is a nice touch though, i used a coal or two of Jamaican Pimento wood (from the allspice tree) at the beginning. Place the charcoal in a circle around the chicken and replace with 2 or 3 brickets as the first burn out. Don’t put it directly under the chicken or there will be flareups.

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Mrs Coldwarrior’s favorite thing  about rotisserie chicken is the skin, it should be crispy and yummy. To get it right requires a few extra steps. Take your remaining marinade and add a couple of tsps of olive oil and a tsp of brown sugar. The sugar will help make a light flavor glaze and aid in crisping, the oil will help the marinade stick. Brush the mixture on the chickens as they cook with a paint brush. Some skin may get burned a bit as the internal temperature is reached, but the majority of it will be great.

The above photo shows the orientation of the coals, below shows the larger set-up. Most of the cooking happens with the lid down or slightly opened 3-4 inches. Your technique will depend on your setup.

The rotisserie motor is located on the left.

It should take about an hour and a half to hit internal temperature of 165-170 (YMMV). Please use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness. at 165F.

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Rotisserie chicken retains much of its fat because the chicken is always rotating. Therefore it will be more tender and flavorful than baked.

Let’s Eat!

Tags: Food and Drink, foodies, Open thread

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