Charcoal-Grilled Butterflied Chicken with Green Olive Tapenade
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
For Tapenade
10 pitted green olives (large), preferably Spanish3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 anchovy fillets 1 clove garlic, chopped1 teaspoons drained capersBefore You Begin
We tested this recipe many times with a 3-pound chicken. Although grilling conditions vary, each time we cooked the chicken, it was done in less than 30 minutes—12 minutes on one side and 12 to 15 minutes on the other. For chickens that weigh closer to 3 1/2 pounds, plan on the full 15 minutes once the chicken has been turned. The tapenade is fairly salty, so make sure to rinse the chicken very thoroughly after brining.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt and sugar in 1 quart cold water in 1-gallon zipper-lock plastic bag. Add chicken; press out as much air as possible from bag and seal. Refrigerate until fully seasoned, at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. Meanwhile, pulse olives, olive oil, anchovies, garlic, and capers in food processor until mixture becomes slightly chunky paste (do not overprocess).
- Light large chimney starter filled 3/4 full with charcoal (4 1/ 2 quarts should be about 75 briquettes); let burn until all charcoal is covered with layer of fine gray ash. Build single-level fire by spreading coals evenly over bottom of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and heat until grate is hot, about 5 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Grill is ready when coals are medium-hot.
- Meanwhile, remove chicken from brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub olive mixture under skin of breasts, thighs, and legs, and season with pepper to taste. Reposition chicken parts if necessary.
- Place chicken, bone-side down, on grill rack. Set rimmed baking sheet or other flat pan on top of chicken; put 2 bricks in pan. Grill until chicken is deep brown, about 12 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken skin-side down. Replace sheet pan and bricks, and continue cooking until chicken juices run clear and instant-read thermometer inserted deep into thigh registers 165 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes more. Brush both sides of chicken with honey-lime juice glaze during last 2 minutes of cooking time.
- Remove chicken from grill, then cover with foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve according to illustrations below and serve.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
For Tapenade
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
For Tapenade
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
For Tapenade
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a grilled chicken recipe with evenly cooked meat that would require much less effort and attention than a whole bird, we butterflied the chicken—a simple process in which the bird is placed on its breast and the backbone is removed. Pounding the bird for our grilled chicken recipe made it slightly more attractive, and cutting slits on either side of the breast to tuck in each leg allowed the chicken to cook up neat, tidy, and flat. And since the butterflied, pounded, and tucked chicken was so much thinner than a whole roaster, it could be cooked over a medium-hot direct fire in just about half an hour.
Before You Begin
We tested this recipe many times with a 3-pound chicken. Although grilling conditions vary, each time we cooked the chicken, it was done in less than 30 minutes—12 minutes on one side and 12 to 15 minutes on the other. For chickens that weigh closer to 3 1/2 pounds, plan on the full 15 minutes once the chicken has been turned. The tapenade is fairly salty, so make sure to rinse the chicken very thoroughly after brining.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt and sugar in 1 quart cold water in 1-gallon zipper-lock plastic bag. Add chicken; press out as much air as possible from bag and seal. Refrigerate until fully seasoned, at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours. Meanwhile, pulse olives, olive oil, anchovies, garlic, and capers in food processor until mixture becomes slightly chunky paste (do not overprocess).
- Light large chimney starter filled 3/4 full with charcoal (4 1/ 2 quarts should be about 75 briquettes); let burn until all charcoal is covered with layer of fine gray ash. Build single-level fire by spreading coals evenly over bottom of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and heat until grate is hot, about 5 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Grill is ready when coals are medium-hot.
- Meanwhile, remove chicken from brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub olive mixture under skin of breasts, thighs, and legs, and season with pepper to taste. Reposition chicken parts if necessary.
- Place chicken, bone-side down, on grill rack. Set rimmed baking sheet or other flat pan on top of chicken; put 2 bricks in pan. Grill until chicken is deep brown, about 12 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken skin-side down. Replace sheet pan and bricks, and continue cooking until chicken juices run clear and instant-read thermometer inserted deep into thigh registers 165 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes more. Brush both sides of chicken with honey-lime juice glaze during last 2 minutes of cooking time.
- Remove chicken from grill, then cover with foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve according to illustrations below and serve.
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