Sanny Posted November 29, 2006 Report Posted November 29, 2006 I'm trying something gnu today. I have a chicken with a modified mad max preparation (thanks, Naked Whiz). I put an apple, peeled orange, onion in it, and chopped herbs, mixed with salt and pepper, and stuffed some of those in, and mixed some of the herbs/salt with butter, and squished that under the skin. Set up is indirect. I bought a 14 inch round griddle from Bayou Classic, and have that as a deflector. Smaller than the OEM portland deflector, which is prolly better for my size 5. More space around the edges. Chick is squatting on a pop can (white whine in the can) and in a small Lodge cast iron dutch oven.
ThreeDJ16 Posted November 29, 2006 Report Posted November 29, 2006 Re: chick chick I'm trying something gnu today. I have a chicken with a modified mad max preparation (thanks, Naked Whiz). I put an apple, peeled orange, onion in it, and chopped herbs, mixed with salt and pepper, and stuffed some of those in, and mixed some of the herbs/salt with butter, and squished that under the skin. Set up is indirect. I bought a 14 inch round griddle from Bayou Classic, and have that as a deflector. Smaller than the OEM portland deflector, which is prolly better for my size 5. More space around the edges. Chick is squatting on a pop can (white whine in the can) and in a small Lodge cast iron dutch oven. Cool, how bout some pics?? -=Jasen=- Argh, you must have been adding them while I was typing- hehe! Kinda looks like that chicken is laying an egg from the wrong end - hehe.
Sanny Posted November 29, 2006 Author Report Posted November 29, 2006 That IS a pic, silly!! That lumpy thing at the bottom of the post is a pic o chick!! Take another pill and try again. That's an apple in the cavity. Dentist says apples don't cause cavities, but maybe he's wrong...
Farmer John Posted November 29, 2006 Report Posted November 29, 2006 Stuffn' it Well you certainly have given a gnu daffynition to stuffing a chicken. You sure you couldn't put more in that poor bird? John
Fetzervalve Posted November 29, 2006 Report Posted November 29, 2006 I think I saw that same thing on a website the other day......but it wasn't a chicken! Is that a whole apple (uncut)? Is that going to do anything, other than plug the in-hole?
Sanny Posted November 29, 2006 Author Report Posted November 29, 2006 No, that's a half apple. There are apple slices in there too.
Sanny Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Posted November 30, 2006 Here's the final product. I just cut it in half and gave half to my neighbor. Too much for just me. Observations: Skin is crispy and delicious, except where it was below the level of the dutch oven. That's where the liquid gathered, so skin is rubbery there. Lots of grease rendered out! Good the pan was under it, or the fire company would have been there, for sure. Can you imagine all that grease on the coals? Horrors. I gnawed on a leg, and it could use salt. I salted the herb/butter mix, and put it under the skin, but that was mostly on back and breast, not on legs. I should have salted the outside of it, too - at least the legs and wings. Or else made sure I got butter/herb mixture under that skin, too. The addition of a pinch of pepper flakes (italian pizza shop variety, but home grown) was a good touch. Adds zip to the fresh oregano, thyme, tarragon, garlic mixture. There's a faintly sweet taste from the apple and oranges, which goes well with the light cherry smoke. I threw a small handful of cherry chips on the edges of the fire when it got going. All in all, a good experiment, and I would try it again, with modifications.
Fetzervalve Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 Sanny, Have you ever brined a chicken? I have cooked one spatchcocked (unbrined) and one whole (brined) - not an exactly a direct comparison, but after that and the turkkey success, I suspect I'll be a full time briner now, as long as I have planned far enough ahead.
DavidS Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 Nice looking chicken. I will have to try that.
Sanny Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Posted November 30, 2006 I haven't brined, no. I didn't feel like taking the time with this one. Came home from work and wanted to roast the birdy before the rains and cold come tomorrow. Maybe I'd brine a different time. I don't usually think that far ahead. If I did this again - and I likely will - I'd prop the chicken up higher, or use a bigger pan so the bird didn't sit in the juices. By sitting in the juice, it's more stewed than roasted at the bottom half of the bird. In Cooks Illustrated this issue (my first time reading it), there was a discussion of brining a pork loin. The article came out with a shrug. Go ahead, but not necessary the way they seasoned and cooked the roast. Not that a pork loin is a chicken, but it was interesting.
Firemonkey Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 Sanny, wise to be cautious with the smaller deflector (speaking from experience) My advise: Place the griddle on your lower bracket, and some sort of drip pan above it. A foil pie pan would be fine. To prevent burning grease, leave some space between the griddle and the drip pan (use the same nuts or washers you used between the stones for baking pizza). Some even add water to the pan as a precaution, but I never do. Then set the bird directly on the grill rack to allow full heat circulation and even browning/roasting.
Sanny Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Posted November 30, 2006 FM, it was at your recommendation that I went with a smaller deflector. And I checked around the outside of the cooker when it was going, and it was not any warmer at the level of the smaller deflector than it was elsewhere. Good call. Good advice re: pan below, and chick on the rack. Don't know why that set up didn't cross my mind - it's how I do the pork butts. :::: That would take care of the stewed chicken part. Gotta say, though, it tasted nice. And my neighbor (out in the yard to take out his trash) said "whatever that is, it smells great." hehe
Curly Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 FM, it was at your recommendation that I went with a smaller deflector. Good advice re: pan below, and chick on the rack. Don't know why that set up didn't cross my mind - it's how I do the pork butts. :::: That would take care of the stewed chicken part. Gotta say, though, it tasted nice. And my neighbor (out in the yard to take out his trash) said "whatever that is, it smells great." hehe Yeah right...like he was accidentally taking out his trash . You prolly don't want to know how bad his neck and back are hurting from hanging out by that window waiting for you to free the bird . Look if my 6 mth old mutt already knows when smoke is coming outta that thing, great food will soon follow...how long do you think it took your genius neighbor to figure it out. He may be a male, but that don't automaitcally mean he's stupid...well, at least when it comes to food and that other thing we really like
johnnyboy Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 Sanny, when I first looked at your picture I thought you were giving that bird boobs! Too funny; looked like a good recipe. I agree, move your heat deflector and drip pan to the lower bracket.
Curly Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 Sanny, when I first looked at your picture I thought you were giving that bird boobs! Too funny; looked like a good recipe. I agree, move your heat deflector and drip pan to the lower bracket. You could set it in a v-rack or something...still in the pan, but outta the liquid.
johnnyboy Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 Curly wrote: You could set it in a v-rack or something...still in the pan, but outta the liquid. Curly, "pop can" in a "V" rack. Pop can stuffed chicken on main grill, drip pan/heat deflector on lower grill. Works great.
Curly Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 Curly wrote: You could set it in a v-rack or something...still in the pan, but outta the liquid. Curly, "pop can" in a "V" rack. Pop can stuffed chicken on main grill, drip pan/heat deflector on lower grill. Works great. Oh OK, I thought it was sitting in the juice and part didn't get crispy. I'm not really a detail oriented person
ThreeDJ16 Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 I'm not really a detail oriented person Translated: Means he doesn't finish reading the post before replying! -=Jasen=-
Curly Posted November 30, 2006 Report Posted November 30, 2006 I'm not really a detail oriented person Translated: Means he doesn't finish reading the post before replying! -=Jasen=- I'm a skimmer
Sanny Posted November 30, 2006 Author Report Posted November 30, 2006 Sanny' date=' when I first looked at your picture I thought you were giving that bird boobs! [/quote']Johnnyboy, trust me when I tell you that I know where breasts go, and I'd have put them in the right place - not stickin out of the top of a neck cavity!! I mean, wonderbra is one thing, but that chicken would suffocate with breasts up that high!
