Not only did he teach me how to butterfly a chicken (being a visual learner online videos can be great tutorials) he helped me understand why a salting then a marinating process is necessary to create a moist, flavorful, and juicy grilled chicken.
You might be thinking 'what is the big deal about making grilled chicken?' After you make this recipe you will understand the 'big deal'. With my new found knowledge I made the best ever grilled chicken. Honestly, yes best ever. But as obsessed as I am about this grilled chicken, I don't want to turn into someone who makes the same dish as the only dish I serve to family and friends. So I am thinking I am going to have change out the sides to go along with this grilled chicken. Then maybe I might be able to get away with having the grilled chicken make multiple repeat appearances, at least for a little while.
Up until now I have never taken on the challenge of butterflying (or spatchcocking) a whole fresh chicken. Whether I didn't trust my knife skills or I thought it was 'too' difficult, my reticence has finally been overcome. Surprisingly butterflying a four pound chicken wasn't as difficult as I had believed it to be (don't we sometimes convince ourselves somethings are harder than they really are?). Having good sharp knives made this chicken preparation relatively much easier.
Butterflying or spatchcocking the chicken begins with removing the neck and backbone using either kitchen shears or a knife. The removal of the breast plates, thigh bones, and wish bone can only be done with a sharp knife. If you are visual learner like I am, this short YouTube video will walk you through the process much better than I might be able to explain it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMB9HHjAMjU.
Once butterflied or spatchcocked (my new favorite word), the chicken is first seasoned with two teaspoons of Kosher salt and allowed to marinate at least two hours and up to overnight in the refrigerator (I marinated for two hours). Two teaspoons may sound like too much salt for a four pound chicken, but it really isn't.
Extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, dried oregano, garlic, salt and pepper are mixed together to create the marinade. It is then poured over the chicken (turning it to ensure both sides are coated) and marinated until ready to grill or overnight (I marinated for three hours with great results).
There are several versions of Paul Kahan's Grilled Chicken recipe out there. One version has to do with the ingredients in the marinade and the second having to do with length of marination time. With regard to the marinade, I saw some recipes calling for 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar in addition to the other ingredients (I didn't add brown sugar to my marinade). With regard to the marinating process, the salt marinating stage ranged from 2 hours to overnight, while marinating in the olive-oil mixture ranged from less than an hour to overnight (my marinating times were 2 hours and 3 hours respectively). Depending on which marinating times you follow, the flavor and juiciness of the grilled chicken will be affected.
Paul Kahan recommended using Espelette pepper (made from chiles grown in the Basque region of France and Spain, having mild heat and on the expensive side) in the marinade, however, he offered Aleppo pepper (grown in Turkey and Syria, having a moderate heat level similar to an ancho chili, and is much less expensive) as an alternative. I used the Aleppo pepper I had purchased from Williams-Sonoma a few months earlier and lessened the amount of pepper used due to the variations in heat level. He also recommended using Mexican dried oregano instead of the more standard Mediterranean dried oregano. I didn't have the Mexican oregano on hand, but was happy with the flavors the standard Mediterranean dried oregano imparted on the chicken. Next time I will try making the marinade with Mexican oregano and compare the difference in taste to determine an oregano preference.
The marinated chicken is placed on a preheated grill skin side down. I had placed it over the heated side of my gas grill (versus the unheated side of the grill) and kept it on long enough to get a sear on the skin side before turning to get a sear on the bottom of the chicken before placing the chicken on aluminum foil. Continuing to cook over the direct heat and basting several times with the reserved marinade, the chicken remained on the grill for approximately 20-25 minutes before reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees (as measured with a meat thermometer).
All the grilled chicken to rest for a few minutes before cutting into eight pieces. Finish with freshly squeezed lemon juice (a half of a lemon worked perfectly). The acidity of the lemon juice adds another layer of flavor and when combined with juices of the chicken created the perfect 'mopping' sauce.
Recipe
Grilled Chicken (slight adaptation to Paul Kahan's Grilled Chicken recipe)
Ingredients
1 four pound chicken, butterflied
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (plus the juice from an additional half lemon)
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
1 Tablespoon dried oregano (if using Mexican oregano increase to 2 Tablespoons)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Suggested: Serve with fresh bread
Directions
1. Season the butterflied 4 pound chicken with 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt. Cover and marinate for at least two hours or overnight. Recommendation: 2-3 hours.
2. Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, oregano, garlic, Kosher salt and black pepper. Pour over chicken, turn chicken to ensure both sides are coated, and marinate at least two hours or overnight. Recommendation: 3-4 hours.
3. Prepare grill. Place chicken skin side down on hot grill and turn once skin is charred (about 2-3 minutes). Turn chicken over, char bottom of chicken (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer chicken to a piece of aluminum foil and continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes, turning and basting several times.
3a. Alternate indirect cooking method: Place chicken skin side down on grill but away from the heat and close grill. Baste and turn chicken over every five minutes until cooked through.
4. Chicken is done when the juices run clear or has an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove and place on a platter. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Cut chicken into 8 pieces. Squeeze a half-lemon over chicken and serve.
As soon as we no longer had to sit in assigned seats in school, I was one of those who always chose to sit near the front of the classroom (actually the front row if seats were available), with one exception. I would sit a few rows back if I was taking a class with a friend who didn't care to be a 'a front row sitter' (as conflictual as this was for the competitive me, my friendship took priority). But that strong desire to 'sit up front' has now been replaced by an even stronger desire to 'take a place in the back' (in a room by myself with a closed-circuit television would make me even happier).
The dramatic 180 degree shift in my behavior happened the first time I took yoga and full body abs classes. No one can see when you are struggling with a concept presented in a classroom or when the content of the lecture seems so esoteric you wonder if you are sitting in class being taught in a language you understand. But everyone can see your struggles with coordination or endurance while you are in a different kind of learning curve (i.e., one involving physical learning). There have been moments when I wondered 'was I really a cheerleader way back when?' while watching the instructor demonstrate and explain the moves he/she expected us to do. They seemed like ones only circus contortionists or world-class athletes were capable of doing.
What I came to realize is that the competitive environment that existed in high school and college is one that exists only in my head, and fortunately not in any of these classes. The concept of being the 'best' has now been replaced with a different mantra 'be the best me'. At this point in my life, the goal is no longer about doing anything better, faster or more perfect than anyone else. Taking yoga and full body abs classes have been more than enough of a reality check to cause this paradigm shift. While I don't see myself moving from the back of the room to the front or even the middle of the room any time soon, I know I am someone who loves learning new things and challenging myself. And once I get past the whining stage of the learning curve, the euphoria and giddiness I feel are pretty powerful rewards. The every now and then little something from Lululemon rewards aren't bad either.
