smoked chicken

 
ever i moved to portland i have been a regular customer of the german delicatessen edelweiss - back in the days my cooking was far simpler and less honed. the best day to go there is saturday morning when they have most items just freshly made. my usual favorite are weisswurst and cervelat salami. though it is not my regular choice they usually have a batch of smoke chicken sold not by weight but a fix per bird price for around $7.50. i recently bought one. i decided it could not be that difficult to make, so i gave it a shot


i didn't search for any recipe. i just rely on my own intuition and bang! success the first time. it cannot be simpler.

• rub coarse salt and pepper under the skin
• tie the chicken like a butcher would
• let it sit in the fridge a day so the seasoning has a chance to work into the meat
• smoke in indirect charcoal for 1 3/4 hour (i use wet hickory chips for smoke)
• i use a weber charcoal grill

forget about the recipes that tell you to rub butter under the skin - it is a waste and american chickens have more fat they you body needs

patience pays

let it rest a bit because cutting into it

normally i prefer dark meat, but with this smoked chicken even the breast is so moist and tender

served with pasta

i have gotten very good at this and had made 5 or 6 since
i save the bone to make a soup - cabbage and onion goes great and so is leek (love leek)