The last book in this grill-off isn’t a grilling compendium, but it does have recipes that move effortlessly from indoor grill pans to my trusty mini Weber kettle. Grillhouse: Gastropub at Home by Ross Dobson features elevated pub fare with relatively few ingredients and simple techniques.
The whole grilled chicken recipe I chose presented a few hiccups along the way, but turned out beautifully. Be sure to take note of the skill level at your grocery store butcher counter. Rather than butterflied or spatchcocked, my bird was handed over split down the breast (Fortunately, it cooked just as well). The chicken is simply prepared, stuffed with a lemon-garlic-rosemary salt before meeting the grill.
The recipe had impeccable timing. With less than 30 minutes on a hot grill, the chicken was cooked through completely. The crisp skin was imbued with a smokiness only charcoal can add, and every bite of white and dark meat was tender and juicy, with just a touch of lemon and rosemary. The only recipe confusion came with what seems to be an unnecessary flip on the grill before drizzling the bird with garlic-infused olive oil. Grilled chicken doesn’t get much easier than this.
Skill level: Easy. No fancy techniques or obscure ingredients required here. Basic knife skills and your average grocery store will provide all you need.
This book is for: Those who appreciate a proper pint while they grill – fans of Dressel’s, The Scottish Arms and other true gastropubs.
Other recipes to try: Stout beef burgers, fillet steaks with mushroom and whiskey sauce, crispy-skinned trout
The verdict: While last week’s steak au poivre was decadent and tender, Grillhouse needs no fancy sauces to take it over the top – just garlic, lemon, rosemary and smoke. We have our champion.
Butterflied Chicken with Rosemary & Garlic
4 servings
12 cloves garlic, left whole and unpeeled
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt flakes, plus extra for sprinkling
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 free-range chickens, about 3 lb. 5 oz. each, butterflied
• Peel and finely chop 4 cloves of garlic and place in a small saucepan with the olive oil over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the rosemary and lemon zest and cook for 2 minutes or until the rosemary is aromatic. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Pour the oil through a fine sieve placed over a bowl, pressing to extract as much oil as possible. Stir the lemon juice into the oil and set aside. Transfer the solids to a small bowl, add the salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and combine well.
• Spread the garlic salt mixture all over the chicken skin, rubbing some under the breast skin. Set aside for 30 minutes.
• Lightly crush the remaining unpeeled garlic with the flat side of a knife.
• Preheat a chargrill to high.
• When smoking hot, place the chickens on the grill, skin side down; reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, ensuring the chicken sizzles constantly on the griddle, using a metal spatula to press down firmly on the chickens every 5 minutes or so. Turn the chickens over. Scatter the whole garlic cloves on and around the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes, again pressing down with the metal spatula. Turn the chickens over. Quickly stir the olive oil and lemon mixture and brush on the skin side of the chickens. Turn over again and cook for just a minute. Remove and cover loosely with foil to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Reprinted with permission from Lyons Press
This article appears in April 2016.