Summer Entertaining Recipes: Grilled Chicken with Gremolata
We are winding down our Summer Entertaining Simplified series of posts with a fantastic recipe for the star of summertime cuisine — the grill! This recipe for a whole grilled chicken is not the quickest in the world, but it couldn’t be easier and the results are worth it. How worth it, you ask? Let’s just say my photographer was tempted to grab a bite of chicken while shooting. She’s a vegetarian.
Photo Credit: Janet Howard Studio
Summer’s brightest flavors and best produce play a big role in this recipe. It begins with a brine to pack a ton of flavor into the bird before grilling, and finishes with a bright and citrusy gremolata.
Photo Credit: Janet Howard Studio
Tip: Don’t buy a pre-packaged chicken. Instead, go to the butcher counter and ask him or her to remove the backbone and butterfly the bird for you. It will save you lots of time and hassle. They will usually ask you if you’d like to take the bone with you, which is great for making stocks and soup bases.
Photo Credit: Janet Howard Studio
Summer Entertaining Recipes: Grilled Chicken with Gremolata
Author: La Crema Culinary Team
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. coriander seed
- 1 Tbsp. whole black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. mustard seed
- 1 Tbsp. fennel seed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 (2½ lb.) whole chicken, back bone removed and butterflied
- 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp. orange zest
- 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced fine
- ¼ cup parsley leaves, minced fine
- 1 tsp. fresh mint, minced fine
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot combine water, salt, coriander seed, black pepper, mustard seed, fennel seed, bay leaf and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let steep for 1 hour.
- Strain and chill brine to below 40⁰F before adding chicken.
- Brine chicken for at least 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Remove chicken from brine and pat dry before grilling.
- Grill chicken over indirect heat until juices run clear and the skin is golden brown and delicious (internal temperature should be 150⁰F).
- Remove chicken from heat and cover with foil.
- Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Chicken can be served warm or at room temperature.
- For the gremolata, combine zests, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, mint, olive oil and salt in a bowl.
- Spoon desired amount of gremolata over chicken.
I like to display my grilled goodies right on a beautiful wooden cutting board. A sprig or two of rosemary and some lemon wedges are sure to be left around your kitchen after you’re done cooking — place them on the board for a little garnish.
Photo Credit: Janet Howard Studio
Serve the grilled chicken with panzanella, peach and arugula salad, and some grilled veggies like corn, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes… All are in season and you really can’t go wrong!
It’s difficult to argue a better summer pairing for chicken than a cool, yet rich glass of Chardonnay, perhaps Pinot Noir, but we’re talking summer here! Whichever you choose — Chard or Pinot — you’ll be in for a palate-pleasing delight.
Photo Credit: Janet Howard Studio
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series and that you’ll find some of my tips and tricks helpful! Above all else, remember to take the time to enjoy yourself at your summer get-togethers.
Cheers!
The Series
For more tips from this series, visit Camp Makery.
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