Butterflied BBQ Chicken
Following on from the Weekend Escape post earlier in the week, thought I’d share the recipe for the simple and delicious BBQ chicken we made while away last weekend. While the chicken in the photo is a little more chargrilled than anticipated, the herby zesty flavours with a little chilli for heat, shone through brilliantly.
Butterflied BBQ Chicken
- Whole chicken
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 fresh chilli finely chopped or 2 tsp fresh chilli (from a jar)
- 3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Zest and juice of one large lemon
- Sea salt
- Olive oil
Butterfly the chicken by placing whole bird breast down on a board, cut down either side of the backbone, and remove bone and excess skin. Loosen flesh around joints before turning chicken over and press gently down on breast bone until it breaks, and you can then flatten out the chicken so that it cooks more evenly. (I’m no expert at this but it was easier than I envisaged.)
Mix all other ingredients (except the oil and sea salt) to make a paste. Push paste under skin so that it evenly covers the flesh. Season with sea salt, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
Heat BBQ to medium-hot and grease plate with a little olive oil. Place chicken on BBQ breast side down and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 15-20 minutes with lid closed - or create a makeshift lid with a large roasting dish, like we did. Using a skewer or sharp knife, check it is cooked by inserting into the thickest part of the chicken - juices should run clear. Leave to sit covered for 10 minutes before cutting into portion sized pieces.
Serve with your favourite salad. And if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, its perfect sliced with avocado and tomato in a sandwich.
Don’t forget you can play around with various herb and seasonings to make a paste eg coriander, chilli and lime; rosemary and lemon; tarragon and orange. But I do find keeping to one type of fresh herb in a paste ensures the best flavour.
Enjoy your weekend.
Michelle