Rotisserie Chicken

 

For weeks we have been sorting through our basements and attics combing for “treasures” we were willing to part with at our neighbourhood garage sale.  At last, Saturday was the Big Day.  We were blessed with warm sunny weather for standing outside and greeting friends and neighbours we hadn’t laid eyes on since the snow started falling those many months ago.  After a morning of good fun with lots of laughs, we were able to make a nice donation to the Waterloo Regional Down Syndrome Society from all the profits.

At the end of a busy weekend it was nice to sit down to a very simple and delicious dinner.  We had been out to the Waterloo Farmer’s Market where we each picked up a big roasting chicken from Hilltop Acres Poultry. Cooking the birds on the rotisserie resulted in succulent and delicious meat. Then, we took the kale and lemons to  make a quick and super- nutritious salad.

Rotisserie Chicken

You can use any of your favourite spice rubs or seasoning salt to flavor your chicken inside and out.  For ours we made a small batch with kosher salt, brown sugar, cumin, coriander and paprika. 

1 whole chicken, about 5 pounds

1 onion, roughly chopped

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

a few sprigs each rosemary, thyme and parsley

1 -2 tablespoons olive oil

seasoning salt and pepper

Wash chicken thoroughly with cold water inside and out.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of seasoning salt inside the cavity, then loosely pack it with the onion, garlic, and herbs.   Drizzle the oil over the outside of the chicken and massage it evenly over the skin.  Sprinkle more of the spice mix over the outside.  Using cotton butcher’s twine, truss the chicken to prevent movement during the rotation. 

If using a rear rotisserie burner, light the burner to preheat the barbecue.  If using bottom burners, light the outside burners, leaving the middle burner off, and add some hot water to the roasting pan to prevent scorching.   

Skewer the chicken with the spit rod, securing the spit forks tightly on each end.  Place the rod over your sink allowing the heaviest part of the chicken to rotate to the bottom.  Secure the counter balance at the opposite side to help with even rotation on the barbecue.  Place a shallow roasting pan on the barbecue, and place the chicken and rotisserie rod on the grill, inserting it tightly into the motor.  Turn the motor on, and watch for a few rotations to ensure that the chicken is not touching the roasting pan and that it is turning smoothly.  Adjust as needed.  (you may need to remove grids and place the roasting pan directly on the flavor waves). 

Adjust the flame to maintain a temperature of about 350° F, allowing about 25 minutes per pound.  Always use a meat thermometer to determine doneness, inserting it into the thigh or leg avoiding touching the bone.  Let rest 5-10 minutes before carving.  

 Kale Salad with Lemon, Serranos and Mint

This recipe is from Chef Jean-George Vongerichten.   It fit the bill perfectly for our menu this weekend, as we were trying to decide what to do with the lemons and kale that we picked up at the market. As  he said in his interview in Mens Journal magazine (April, 2013), “Salads are very much whatever the mood is- just whatever you find in the market.”  Who can argue with chef Jean-George??

Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic
11/2 in piece serrano pepper
5 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp kosher salt
pinch of finely ground black pepper
1 cup sunflower oil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1 lemon

Combine red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, serrano pepper, dijon mustard, salt & pepper in a food processor. Whir for a few seconds, then, with the blade still running, slowly add oils, then lemon zest.

Salad:
2 bunches kale, stems removed, washed and dried
16 medium mint leaves
2 green onions, thinly chopped
1/2 cup dressing
Freshly cracked black pepper

Remove the stems and the center rib from the kale leaves with a sharp knife. Stack trimmed leaves in a neat pile and slice crosswise into very thin (1/8") ribbons. Combine kale, chopped mint and green onions, dressing and pepper in a large bowl and toss, 10 minutes before serving. This gives the lemon juice, mustard and salt time to tenderize the kale.