Grilled Chicken With Spicy Corn On The Cob And Grilled Lettuces
- 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breast halves with drumettes*
- About 1 tsp. each fine sea salt and pepper
- 3 or 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup fresh oregano leaves, divided
- About 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 to 5 dried small hot red chiles, such as arbol
- 3 or 4 dried mild, fruity chiles, such as guajillo or ancho
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 ears corn in husks
- 4 heads Little Gem lettuce or hearts of romaine
- Remove chicken from refrigerator 2 hours before grilling; pat dry. Season all over with 1 tsp. each salt and pepper.
- With a mortar and pestle, pound garlic to a smooth puree. Add 1/2 cup oregano and pound to a coarse paste. Drizzle in just enough oil to make a thick paste, about 1 tbsp. (Or, mince garlic, then mash with the flat side of a chef's knife. Mince oregano and blend with mashed garlic and oil.) Rub paste all over chicken pieces (anytime after seasoning step).
- Ignite a heaping chimney of mesquite hardwood charcoal on firegrate of a charcoal grill. When fully lit but not quite glowing, about 15 minutes, spread about 1 in. thick over most of firegrate, but sloping up toward one side; the high part will be your hot area. Add about a half-chimney of unlit fruitwood chunks evenly to charcoal. Set cooking grate in place. When flames have burned down to low flickers, 5 to 8 minutes, you are ready to cook.
- Meanwhile, remove stems but not seeds from chiles. In a clean coffee grinder, grind chiles to a coarse powder. Finely chop remaining 1/2 cup oregano and mix in a bowl with chiles. Mash in butter, plus pepper and salt to taste.
- Grill corn in husks over hot part of fire, turning often, until blackened all over, 10 to 12 minutes; set aside. Light another chimney of charcoal in a heatproof area and let burn until glowing.
- When grill temperature is down to medium (about 400u0b0), scrub cooking grate with a grill brush, then wipe grate with a clean, dry rag to remove soot. Arrange chicken over cooler part of fire, skin side down and with thickest part nearest hot area. Set a couple of plates on chicken to flatten and help it crisp. Grill, uncovered, until well browned underneath, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prep lettuces: Quarter each head lengthwise through core. Brush with remaining 1 tbsp. oil and season lightly with salt.
- Husk corn and remove any silk by rubbing ears with a kitchen towel. Rub sparingly all over with chile butter (about 1 tsp. per ear; dripping butter will cause flare-ups).
- When chicken is browned, remove plates and turn pieces over. Through hinged flap of cooking grate, add several more coals from second chim-ney to replenish fire (keep heat at medium). Cook chicken, covered, until an instant-read thermo-meter inserted through thickest part reads 155u0b0, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board.
- Add corn to grill and cook over medium-high heat (450u0b0; you may need to add a few more coals or wood chunks), covered and turning often, until charred in spots, 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cut into thirds, and rub with more chile butter while still hot. Put in a serving bowl.
- Grill lettuces on both cut sides over medium-high heat until grill marks appear, about 10 minutes total. Arrange on a platter.
- Carve breastbone and ribs from each piece of chicken (leave drumette attached). Set chicken on top of lettuces and serve with corn and remaining chile butter on the side.
- *Order from your butcher, or follow this method for carving the breasts from 2 whole chickens:
- Cut the first two joints off each chicken wing, leaving only the drumettes.
- Cut the leg quarters off, leaving as much skin intact as possible over the breast.
- Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone and neck, following the chicken's natural fat line.
- Score down the center of the breastbone with the point of your knife, then cut in half through the bone.
- After grilling, slice away the breastbone and ribs.
- Make ahead: Up to 1 day, season chicken; chill.
skin, salt, garlic, fresh oregano, extravirgin olive oil, hot red chiles, fruity chiles, butter, gem lettuce
Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-spicy-corn-cob-grilled-lettuces (may not work)