RECIPE: BBQ GARLIC ROASTED CHICKEN

Trust me, once you have eaten a roast cooked on heat beads or coals, any other roast would not taste the same again. I admit there is a bit more preparation involved in getting the oven ready to fire and you may be exposed to the elements being outside to cook the roast…… but the end results are so much more satisfying.

Note: This was cooked on a Weber® Compact Kettle BBQ. You can get the Weber® Compact Kettle BBQ which uses heat beads or charcoal for around $199. It comes with a 5 Year Limited Warranty.


Ingredients – serves 6

1 large (1.5kg) fresh chicken (free range chicken would be better)
1 whole garlic bulb (use Australian or French grown garlic if possible – it tastes so much nicer) – cut into wedges (see my GLOSSARY post on GARLIC)
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Olive oil
Butter
6 to 8 potatoes - peeled and halved
1 bunch baby carrots/1/2 kg carrots – tops removed (if using normal carrots, quartered)
6 small/medium brown onions (optional) – peeled and left whole
1 quantity of BREAD CRUMB STUFFING (click on link)

Method:

Prepare your Weber® Kettle BBQ according to instructions.
Trim the chicken of any excess fat, tuck wings tips under chicken.

Carefully lift the skin from under the breast area and put dollops of butter under the skin. You may omit this step if you want to cut down on fat.

Now rub the chicken cavity with some olive oil and pepper and stuff with the BREAD CRUMB STUFFING (see recipe HERE). Secure with the cavity with toothpick.

Rub the chicken with salt, pepper and olive oil. Make slits all the chicken and insert the garlic cloves.

Bind the legs with kitchen string and tuck the wings into the leg joints to secure.

Using a fork, lightly make some grooves on the potatoes. Lightly rub with olive oil and salt and place in a.

Place the baby carrots (and onions) in another disposable aluminium roasting pan and drizzle some olive oil over. Set aside.

Carefully place the potatoes in the bottom middle part of the BBQ, next to the coals. Put the wire rack in place.


Place the chicken, breast side up, in the middle of the BBQ rack, directly above the potatoes and NOT above the coals. Cook for approximately 1h 20m to 1h 30m or until juices run clear.

After about 45 mins of cooking, place the carrots next to the potatoes. Continue roasting.

When the chicken is done, remove the chicken from the BBQ, cover with foil and keep warm in a low preheated oven. Lift the BBQ wire rack and carefully remove the potatoes and carrots. Replace the rack and put the potatoes and carrots on the wire rack to brown off the vegetables, if it isn’t already cooked. Roast until done.

During this time, make your GRAVY and CHEESE SAUCE and prepare other vegetables you may want to accompany your roast such as cauliflower or peas.

To serve, remove the stuffing from the chicken cavity, carve the chicken, and arrange on plates with the roasted vegetables and bits of stuffing and serve with GRAVY and CHEESE SAUCE.