Cajun Sittin’ Chicken – Barbecue Method

Description

The chicken looks rather barbaric perched on the chicken sitter, but while it is dry roasting on the outside, the inside is being bathed with your choice of steamy beer, wine or fruit juice. The result is moist, tender, falling-off-the-bone meat, encased in the spicy crispy skin. You can easily experiment with different spice rubs and sauces. Here we have used our Rub for Barbecue with Cajun Spice Sauce…for a less spicy, more smoky flavour try our Beer Barbecue Sauce instead.  I’ve also prepared different variations using our Tuscan, Moroccan, and Spanish Spice Blends.

Makes 4-6 servings

Printable Recipe

 

Ingredients

1 whole	Chicken, 4-5 pounds, giblets removed, rinsed under cool water
2 Tbsp	Roasted Garlic Olive Oil
1 Cup	Beer, OR wine OR fruit juice – room temperature
2 Tbsp	Rub for Barbecue
1/4 Cup	Cajun Spice Sauce
1/2 of a whole	Onion – peeled, cut in large wedges

 

Instructions

1. Prepare your grill for indirect, medium-high heat. If you are using charcoal, put the coals on one side of the grill, leaving another side free of coals. If you are using a gas grill, fire up only half of the burners.

2. Pour the beer, wine or fruit juice into the chicken sitter. If you want you can also put a spring of rosemary and/or thyme in the liquid. To reduce mess on the counter set the chicken sitter in the middle of a baking dish or pan. Set the chicken on the sitter so that it is sitting upright, with the sitter in its cavity. Insert the onion in the opening at the top of the chicken (this will help to keep the steaming moisture inside the chicken.)

3. Using your hands rub the chicken all over with Roasted Garlic Olive Oil. Then rub the chicken all over with the Rub for Barbecue. Then brush the Cajun Spice Sauce all over the chicken.

3. Place the chicken (and the sitter) on the cool side of the grill. The legs and sitter will keep it stable.

4. Cover the grill and walk away. Do not even check the chicken for at least an hour. After an hour, check the chicken and refresh the coals if needed (if you are using a charcoal grill). Keep checking the chicken every 15 minutes or so after that, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken, and the internal temperature of the grill. A 4 lb chicken will usually take around 1 1/2 hours. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, a way to tell if the chicken is done is to poke it deeply with a knife (the thigh is a good place to do this), if the juices run clear, not pink, the chicken is done.

5 Using a large metal spatula carefully transfer the chicken, still on the sitter, to a tray or pan. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Carefully lift the chicken off the sitter.

6. The chicken can be served two ways. If you prefer to leave the bone in simply cut the chicken in pieces. If you prefer to reserve the carcass for stock carve the meat off the bones. Serve immediately.