During the peculiar winter "heat wave" we've had here in the U.S. midwest, the Lonesome Road grill was lit, on New Year's Eve in fact. Not that the air temperature was still warm by the time the coals were ready, and so we froze in the early dusk and evening anyway. Still, it was a nice change of pace to have a smoky meal grilled outdoors in the dead of winter. Grilling seemed so "everyday" in the summer, even almost a little repetitive. But as the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this brined barbecued chicken was most welcome on our plates that night!

In the past, I've always been somewhat dissatisfied with the results of brining meats. Every recipe seemed much too salty. Even though the meat was always nice and juicy, it did not compensate for the overbearing saltiness. With this recipe, I adjusted both the amount of salt used in the brine and the amount of time that the chicken spent in the brine. For the first time, I was happy with the results! Juicy and not too salty, flavorful but not overpowering. Perfect! As the final touch, I added an interesting barbecue sauce at the end of grilling; both recipes are below:

The Brining Solution

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup hot water

1-1/2 cups cold water

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

1/2 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, sliced

Directions: Dissolve the salt and sugar in the hot water and allow to cool slightly. Add the cold water and remaining ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag. Place chicken breasts in the bag of brine and reseal. Place the bag in a large casserole dish for good measure against leakage. Brine in the refrigerator for no more than 2 or 3 hours, then prepare for grilling or baking. Discard brine. This recipe makes enough brine for four large bone-in split chicken breasts.

For The Sauce, combine:

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

2 tablespoons soy or tamari sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (like Colman's)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)

Salt to taste

Use to baste on grilled meats during the final 15 to 20 minutes of cooking. Recipe makes about one cup of sauce.

well I've never been to Spain.... but I kinda like the chicken...

Pollo al Mattone -

Chicken Grilled Under Bricks

Actually this grilling method is reportedly Italian (specifically Tuscan); however, the marinade I used has some terrific Spanish flavors including one of my favorites... sherry!

Grilling chicken under bricks is a very old technique that keeps the meat tender and juicy while creating a crispy browned skin. Since the chicken is grilled over a medium-low grill temperature (we used the indirect method of charcoal grilling for this - coals pushed off to the sides) it doesn't burn to a blackened crust. Even so, I chose a marinade that wouldn't be too sugary, to avoid any type of overly burned spots. In addition, this method works best with an olive oil-based marinade, as the oil also works to keep the chicken nice and moist with a delicious crispy skin.
To prepare the chicken for marinating, simply place the rinsed, dried chicken (sans giblets of course) breast side up and cut through the breast bone until you can butterfly the chicken, spreading it completely in half (this might take a little extra wrangling in some areas). The point is to make the chicken flat, therefore cooking it evenly, with the additional help of the bricks weighing it down.
I used a Spanish-style "Barcelona" marinade from a Weber cookbook as the basis of my own marinade. For one chicken, combine:

• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 serrano chile peppers, roughly chopped (leave the ribs and seeds in if you like more heat, or simply use more peppers!)
• 2 tablespoons dried basil (when gardening season is in full swing, I will be switching this to fresh basil - lots and lots of it!)
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Blend until smooth in a blender or food processor. Marinate chicken in this mixture overnight in a resealable bag or covered glass container.

To grill:
I like to take items to be grilled out of the refrigerator and let them almost come to room temperature. Preheat a gas grill to a target temperature of 325 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or prepare a charcoal grill for indirect grilling.
Wrap two bricks in aluminum foil (for cleanliness, and also to make clean-up much easier). Place the marinated chicken, skin side down to begin with, on the grate and place a brick on each half. Yes, this does look pretty comical as the chicken looks like it is the victim of a horrific accident. Grill for about 20 to 25 minutes on the skin side, then carefully remove bricks with fireproof gloves or something similar, and turn chicken over on its other side to finish cooking, again placing the bricks on each half.
Many recipes claim that the entire cooking time should be around 40 minutes but I found this to be really inaccurate. Allow at least an hour or more of total cooking time, depending on the actual size of your chicken. With this cooking method, a little longer is better and it's fairly foolproof from the standpoint of overcooking (and drying out). Use a meat thermometer to determine that the chicken is cooked thoroughly; you can also see that the juices will run clear and joints move easily.


There! That's all there is to it! This is wonderful with a nice rice pilaf and a big green salad. And a beverage of your choice, of course. Don't forget to have a sip of sherry afterward also!

it hurts, but in the nicest way

Lonesome's Creole Seasoning
A gentle but firm whip-crackin'

for your tongue

Just the right amount of heat, a bit of a burn going down, but smooth, like a sip of fine bourbon.

I like to let chicken (or other meat) absorb the spices overnight in the refrigerator, but a quick toss in the mixture just before grilling works nicely if you're short on time, or if you had one too many Blackened Voodoos and forgot to do it the night before.

Don't stop at carnivorous pursuits, though. Lonesome's Creole Seasoning will tickle your tastebuds when mixed into butter for corn on the cob or popcorn, or sprinkled onto your favorite cooked veggies or a salad (add some to your favorite vinaigrette recipe!). And of course, it can also be used on seafood, fish and tofu.

When grilling with Lonesome's Creole Seasoning, keep an eye on your chow. Although there is no sugar in this seasoning, there are natural sugars in the garlic and onion powders - be sure to cook carefully over slow and low indirect heat, or partially cook food prior to getting your grill-groove on, just to add that smoky flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/4 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/4 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tablespoon celery seed

feeling like a spring chicken!

Roast Chicken with

Lemon and Honey

So easy, and perfect for Passover,

or as part of a small, intimate Easter dinner.

Mmm... an aromatic golden brown roast chicken is just the thing for a special spring dinner. The lemony flavor is most concentrated in the skin, crispy from basting with pan juices and honey, but if you're sure to poke the skin a bit before roasting, the lemon flavor will infuse the chicken as it cooks and surprise you with its fresh flavor. Serve with anything from a rice pilaf to roasted baby new potatoes to a sweet potato casserole. If there are any leftovers, they are delicious added to pasta primavera, or sliced cold in a green salad with fruit and a bit of honey mustard dressing.

Start preparation for this chicken the night before cooking.

Ingredients:

• one 6-1/2 to 7 pound roasting chicken
• 7 medium to large sized lemons
• 1/4 cup honey
• kosher salt and lemon pepper (I found that lemon pepper makes this chicken even more lemony and changed the original recipe; you can use regular black pepper if you prefer)

The night before, squeeze the juice of 6 lemons (this will equal about a cup of fresh lemon juice). Trim excess fat from the chicken, rinse and pat dry, then carefully poke holes in the skin (not only will this help flavor the meat with the lemon juice, it will enable fat to melt from the skin and sort of "self-baste" the chicken). Place chicken in a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag with the cup of lemon juice. Refrigerate overnight, being sure to turn the chicken occasionally.

To roast: Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius). Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the lemon juice. Place half of the last lemon into the chicken cavity. Liberally sprinkle chicken with kosher salt and lemon pepper and place breast down on a rack in a roasting pan. (This chicken becomes a bit messy; if you have a non-stick roasting pan, this is the time to use it. If not, I suggest lining the roasting pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.) Roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes then turn oven down to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and roast uncovered for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, turn chicken over to breast side up (I achieve this awkward task with grilling tongs and a grilling fork but you may have a better method). Heat the 1/4 cup of honey until just pourable and brush part of it on the chicken. Return chicken to the oven for another 55 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads that the chicken is fully cooked. During the last 55 minutes of roasting, continue to brush and baste the chicken with honey and pan juices.

Remove from oven when done, sprinkle lightly with the juice of the other lemon half and a bit more salt, tent with foil and let rest for 10 or 15 minutes, then carve and serve. The original recipe suggests serving the chicken with pan juices, but I found them to be mainly fat and some burned honey goo, so I skip that part.

This recipe is based on a recipe first printed in Bon Appetit magazine in April, 2004; I adjusted it to reflect my tastes.