Tips for better chicken on the Egg

ChicagoQ

Disclaimer - I'm an avid Egg user, and use my large several times a week, and have no plans to dust off my old Weber gas gril, but read on... just looking for some ideas for improving my Egg cooking...[p]A few nights ago, my friend served me a rotisserie-cooked chicken from his new Weber gas grill. And in comparison to the chickens I have done on my Egg, it was darn good if not better. The only downside was the lack of any wood/smoke flavor (which obviously is a major reason we use and love our Eggs). But the skin from the rotisserie bird was super crispy, and the meat was very moist and tender without being tough or chewy. In comparison, the spatchcocked and beer-can chickens I've done so far on my Egg have had rubbery, fatty skin, and while the meat has been super moist it is often mealy or tough in the way it comes off the bone. Always tastes great, but lacks for some of the texture that the rotisserie seemed to give. When I cook spatchcocked chicken on the Egg, I do let the bird face the fire skin-side down to try and crisp up the skin but haven't even found that to be too succesful. [p]So I was wondering what others have found to be some good tips for producing chicken that has some of the textural character of the rotisserie cooked bird (if that's possible), with the wood and smoke flavors that the Egg provides. Thanks!

Steve-O

ChicagoQ,
It sounds like your main concern is a crispy skin. We never eat the skin, so that is not an issue for us. For my tastes, the spatchcocked chickens cannot be beat. I have never had a tough or chewy bird when following the Whiz's method, and the meat has always been tender and very moist. You might try putting the whole bird in the refridgerator uncovered overnight to dry out the skin and see if that gives you more of the crispness you are looking for. If your chicken is coming out dry and tough, perhaps you are cooking too long or at too hot a temperature.

SSDawg

ChicagoQ,[p]Air drying the bird, then lightly rubbing with oil may help, though I have never tried. Incidently, I don't think I've ever achieved very crispy skin with an egg, though I haven't attempted such.

ravnhaus

ChicagoQ,
Here is my method and as you can see the skin is quite crispy.
[ul][li]Chicken on the Egg[/ul]

BlueSmoke

SSDawg,
The few times I've tried to get crisp skin, my best result came from running my fingers under the skin to loosen it from the meat and then air-drying on a vertical roaster in the icebox (thus allowing moisture to drip out rather than pooling on the lower side). Then just a dusting of rub before putting the bird on roaster in, indirect. Only when the skin began to color did I baste with oil.[p]Ken

Julie

ChicagoQ,
I use the vertical chicken roaster. I spray the bird with Pam or the like (some people put their rubs on now) and then put it on the BGE for about 1-1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Skin is crispy.
Julie

Steve-O

John,
That is a great looking bird and another of your great photo essays.

The Naked Whiz

ChicagoQ,
What temp are you using and how big is the bird? [p]TNW

Gretl

ChicagoQ,
I have had great luck with roasting butterflied (spatchcocked) poultry by first loosening the skin all over and applying olive oil and seasoning liberally between the meat and the skin. I then lightly oil the exterior and add seasoning or rub, and l cook the bird skin-side-up at about 350 on an extended grid without turning it over. Sometimes about 1/2 hour before it's done, I baste with sauce; sometimes I don't bother. The result is always tender meat and crispy brown skin. I risk being criticised for overcooking by admitting that I allow the temperature to go to about 180, checked with a Polder or Taylor thermometer. The meat just falls off the bone. The under-the-skin seasoning also works well with Beer Butt Bird. Same great results.
Cheers,
Gretl