Ring of Fire Grilled Chicken
- 1 (4 to 5-pound) broiler fryer chicken
- 1 quart water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 1/2 ounces kosher salt, approximately 3/4 cup
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon adobo powder, without pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- Special Equipment: 2 pieces newspaper, vegetable oil, 2 to 3 pounds natural chunk charcoal, charcoal chimney starter, 8 feet heavy duty aluminum foil, 2 aluminum pie pans
- Lay the chicken on a plastic cutting board, breast side up, with the neck facing you.
- Remove both wings at the joint between the wing and drumette.
- Remove the thigh quarters by slicing down on either side of the back end of the breast.
- Grab both legs, pop the joints that connect to the back, and turn the bird over.
- Remove the thighs and legs by slicing where they attach to the backbone.
- Hold the thigh and leg together, feel for the slight indentation where the joints meet and make an incision at this joint.
- Set the leg and thigh down and slice to separate.
- Repeat with the other leg piece.
- Turn the bird back over, breast side up, put your knife against the breastbone and slice down along the rib cage, cutting the breast meat away from the bone.
- Be sure to include the drumette when removing the breast.
- Repeat on the other breast.
- Freeze the carcass for making stock or discard.
- Put the chicken pieces in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag with the water, honey, and salt.
- Seal the bag and move around vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to distribute the honey and dissolve the salt.
- Set the bag in a leak-proof container and refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, combine curry powder, chili powder, cocoa powder, adobo powder, cumin, and hot smoked paprika in a 1 gallon resealable bag.
- Pat the chicken with paper towels until very dry.
- Do not rinse.
- Put the chicken in the bag with the spice mixture and shake to thoroughly coat the chicken.
- Lay the pieces on a cooling rack set inside a half sheet pan.
- Rest for 30 minutes.
- Spritz 2 pieces of newspaper lightly with vegetable oil and put in the bottom of a charcoal chimney starter.
- Fill the chimney starter with natural chunk charcoal, 2 to 3 pounds, and set on the charcoal grate of a kettle grill until hot and ashy, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
- Prepare a ring of heavy-duty aluminum foil with the center 9-inches in diameter.
- Put this ring over the chimney starter and lay on the charcoal grate.
- Carefully and evenly distribute the hot charcoal outside the ring.
- Set an aluminum pie pan in the center of the ring to catch any drippings.
- Set the cooking grate in place and heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Lightly oil the cooking grate.
- Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side down, on the grate over the hot coals.
- Turn the legs a quarter turn every 3 to 4 minutes.
- Turn the thighs, wings, and breasts after 4 to 5 minutes.
- Skin should blister and darken in color.
- Adjust intensity of heat by turning the grill grate to expose chicken pieces to cooler or hotter coals, as needed, and to avoid flare-ups.
- After 9 to 10 minutes total cook time, move the breast to the center of the grill and cover with a second aluminum pie pan.
- After 10 to 11 minutes total cook time, put the wings on top of the pie pan.
- Lean the thighs and legs against the side of the aluminum pie pan away from the direct heat of the coals.
- Turn every 2 minutes.
- Put any pieces that finish cooking on top of the pan.
- After 18 to 20 minutes total cook time, check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer inserted in the deepest part of each piece.
- The pieces should reach 155 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken to a clean, medium bowl.
- Cover with a tea towel and rest 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately
chicken, water, honey, kosher salt, curry powder, chili powder, cocoa powder, adobo powder, ground cumin, paprika, newspaper
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ring-of-fire-grilled-chicken-recipe.html (may not work)