This chicken story started with a large bird, I didn't get an accurate measurement but she was a large lass. I then took this bird and covered her in a whole pot of yoghurt, yes one of the big ones, the 500g version, along with a decent, heaped tablespoon of salt and large squeeze of lemon juice (from the bottle, but on a proper day would have been at least a whole large lemon's worth of juice, and a bit of zest if you were feeling a bit fruity!).
I then left said lemony-yoghurty bird in the fridge for a couple of days to marinade, so she could think hard about what an amazingly moist, juicy chicken she was going to make for us.
On the day of spit-roasting, I made up a rub of the following:
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
1 tsp lime powder
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp coriander powder
Once I took the bird out of the fridge after several days of deep meditation/ marination, she had a good rub down of the ingredients mixture above. I did wipe off a lot of the marinade but what was left made a really good base to give the bird a really deep, sensuous massage of the rub with the marinade as a lubricant. I don't usually go for a wet rub but in this case there wasn't really a choice, and it was a good choice!
After all that she looked like this:
I then stuck the spit through this brilliantly marinaded beauty and placed the spit over some red-white hot coals, indirect heat, on the Weber, with a rotisserie attachment. This got up to about 250C from what I could see on the Weber thermometer, so just about good enough to roast on.
About an hour after putting the bird on, and one small check where the rotisserie had slipped out of the motor, I temp checked the bird in her thigh and breast and she was good to go.
Originally, this had been intended to be eaten as Sunday dinner, with some rosemary roasted baby potatoes and a salad, but we went out for the day and my visiting parents had to leave. That's not a problem at all, as this bird is going to supply us with lovely succulent meat for salads and sandwiches, and whatever else we decide to do with her (stir fries, curries, random leftover dishes), over the next few days. I had a nibble on a leg, a wing and a slice of breast whilst carving and it's by far the juiciest and most moist chicken I've ever cooked, on or off the barbeque, and I didn't even have to use butter stuffed under the breast. I'm pretty sure it's the combination of yoghurt marinade and spit-roasting.
I have to admit that when I took her out she looked a little burnt. However, when I took a bite of her leg I could tell that the charred exterior was just a covering of bark that tasted of cherry smoke, sweetness and flavour from the rub and the lovely goodness of nature's Maillard reaction.
Apologies to Mum and Dad who missed out on this delightful bird, especially as it may, just may, have been done in time. For next time, eh?
