First ever cook - spatchcock curried chicken, courgette (zucchini if you must!) and butternut

Guythegriller

So on Sunday, after deliberating for too long, I took delivery of a big green egg. All I had in the fridge was a chicken, a few courgette and a butternut squash - so here's what I did.

First mashed up four garlic cloves, zest of two limes, juice of one, a finger of fresh ginger and a tablespoon of 'lazy' prepared chilli in the pestle and mortar. I separated half of this, added a slug of oil and mixed with the courgette (halved lengthways then sliced into 1 1/2 inch pieces). To the other half I added chopped fresh coriander, garam masala, turmeric and mild curry powder and a bit more oil to make a ketchup consistency paste. This I rubbed generously under the skin and on both sides of the chicken. Finally I ground another finger of ginger with ground cumin, salt pepper and butter which I rubbed into either half of the butternut (which I scored as you would a mango 'hedgehog'). All of these were covered (squash with foil, the rest with cling film) and put in the fridge at about 10am. I also put a batch of smoking chips in to soak.

Having built the egg by 2.30 I then had to go to a kids party till 6 when at last I got to light the egg, worrying about being ready before very late. The egg lit as described and, despite my reservations, was up to about 350 in 10 mins. I raised a wire grill (one from normal grill pan) using two bricks and also used the BGE raised grill with drip pan.

I put the spatchcock chicken on the raised wire grill, breast up, with the legs over the bricks (having read that the legs tend to cook quicker this shielded them from direct heat) and put the butternut, cut side covered with foil on the raised grill with drip pan and chucked all the soaked smoking chips onto the coals. I then shut the lid. This was all on by about 615. Temperature I kept to 350 as instructed for a new egg. About 30 mins later I took the foil off the butternut and balanced the courgette, on kebab sticks, in top. 20 minutes later I turned the chicken to give the skin a blast over direct heat and 15 mins later I closed all the air vents on the egg.

The butternut flesh was scraped out and mashed with all its cooking juices and the chicken sliced and all of it served with the courgette by about 730. Results were epic - chicken lipsmackingly tender, courgette soft, spicy and smoky and butternut velvety and rich. Blown away by the egg's ease of use and the way every element turned out, particularly first time - can't wait for next experiment. Some snaps of the process included.

SGH

@Guythegriller‌
Looks like a winner from where I'm sitting. Excellent job! =D> =D> =D>

HDumptyEsq

Welcome. Great start - winner, winner, chicken dinner.