Totally Smokeless Zuni Chicken...

[jfood]

...well almost.

jfood was driving home and a bit depressed since mrs jfood was out of town. What to make for dinner. He initially decided to grab some ravioli and go to the garden and grab some basil and make a little pesto. Then he remembered he started a Zuni chicken in the fridge two nights ago and it should be perfect. BTW - he placed lemon thyme from the garden under the skin when he prepared it. But he did not want to heat up the kitchen.

Bing...bing. If he screwed up there was always pizza take out.

He cranked up the gas weber and waited until it was 500-550. He grabbed his pan, got it hot, placed it on the weber and added the chicken. He followed the 25 min breast up, 15 minutes breast down, 10 minutes breast up. Off the grill and onto a cutting board to rest for 15 minutes (he needed to get the ice cream base ready).

He cut into the chicken and it was absolutely moist as possible, the skin was crispy as it should. Plus the lemon thyme was an unbelievable flavor addition to the chicken. And there absolutely no smoke...at least in the kitchen. The neighbors would have a different view.

Great way to keep the kitchen smokefree and not heat it up with a 450-500 degree oven.

Enjoy.

[jfood]

photos

[chowser]

I was wondering how this would work. Thanks for jumping to the challenge. Hope Mrs. jfood is back to keep jfood's spirits up, although CH is benefitting from it.

[karykat]

The only time we made this my sweetheart had a bad respiratory infection, and with all the smoke I thought he was going to expire. (The chicken was fantastic but maybe not worth losing him.)

This sounds like s good option.

[bulldogx2]

Great idea - I love that recipe but don't make it very often for this precise reason - wife hates the smoke in the house, and the oven is usually a mess to clean up. Don't know why this wouldn't work fine, and a cast-iron ought to be fine on the grill. I'm excited....

[c oliver]

Outstanding. I'd been thinking about doing one the regular way. Our weather is too mild to worry about heating up the kitchen but anytime I can use the grill (even in the snow) I'm there. Thanks for reporting on this. Oh, and tell mrs j thanks also.

[BiscuitBoy]

Which recipe did jfood follow? Sounds like a keeper

[jfood]

a link to the recipe, jfood used lemon thyme this week.

Pictures will be posted this evening on the grill.

He used a large calphalon pan.

bird was ~3.5#

[4Snisl]

Estimate on the weight of your chicken, please?

Keeping apartment cool + procrastination on cleaning oven = double the motivation to try this.

Thanks for sharing- hope Mrs. jfood comes home to some great leftovers. :)

[janniecooks]

jfood, I've been reluctant to try the zuni chicken indoors because of the smoke, and your post has sold me on trying it using the gas grill. What kind of pan did you use? If it was cast iron and one doesn't have a cast-iron skillet, what would be a good sub? How did you have the burners set? All burners on, all at high, what? Thanks for any further info you can offer.