Truly, tonight’s chicken was the best roast chicken I’ve ever eaten. After a few nuclear type disaster trials, I finally figured out the proper way to roast a chicken on the rotisserie attachment of my TEC grill. Not having thought ahead, I didn’t have time to unthaw an Earth Shine Chicken–from a great farm in Michigan–so I went by Whole Foods and bought one of their air cooled roasters (ESF is air chilled as well). Just kosher salt, white pepper, and a whole head of garlic in the cavity. It was a little over 4 pounds, so I left it on the rotisserie for about 2 1/2 hours until the breast registered 175F.
Having never successfully cooked a rotisserie chicken before, I was simply amazed by the flavors and tender nature of the meat along with the crispy skin. Infinitely better than an oven roasted chicken.
This I’m going to have to repeat.
Served it with a 1999 Maison Leroy Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Les Duresses which was drinking nicely tonight. Lots of black fruits, earth and a meaty quality.
Wilfred, that sounds delicious!! I’m gonna have to try the garlic paste. I’ve had something like it at some Lebanese restaurants, and it was excellent with chicken. Great sounding meal!
I will usually add lemon wedges fresh rosemary to the cavity when I prep the bird. Do you have the ability to catch drippings on the TEC? If so try using them to baste the bird.
Well done Wilfred. I love chicken done like that. Simple but so good. I did a couple of birds a few weeks ago. I’ll have to try the garlic paste.
I’ve done this while camping too, cooking it over a wood fire (once you’re left with just coals) and it’s even better. Maybe it’s because of the protein crave from the daily hikes or maybe it’s the fire, but man it’s good.
I have cooked a lot of chickens on our ancient GE Rotisserie. On it a 3 1/2 lb roasts in about 45 minutes; the last one I did was a 4lb 6oz and it was done in an hour. Check our some my threads on chicken. Lately we’ve been enjoying Pollo Real’s French Label Rouge bronze and black chickens. I generally stuff the cavity with tangerine or orange and onion.
I have the same grill as you and I wanted to know what combination of burners, lid, etc you used to achieve that great result! Manlin recommended putting the side burners on Med-low, center burner off, lid on, then lifting the lid and turning all burners to Hi for the last 10 minutes…what are your thoughts??
when using the rotisserie, I leave the out side burners on, the inside on off or on vary low, depending on what I am cooking… until the end and then I turn it up to crust up whatever is over it…
If you have a TEC grill, and it is anything like mine, please do NOT put the lid down. The first time I did this, I put the lid down and then went inside and came outside to see a near-nuclear explosion with out of control flames shooting out the back of the grill. The chickens were turned into charcoal in 2 minutes. I phoned TEC and they said “under no circumstances should you put the lid down” using the rotisserie. They said it turns the grill into an oven, and not a classic rotisserie.
So…this time, using the rotisserie attachment, I put the chicken over the two infrared heating sections on the right (ie. far right and middle, leaving the far left one off where there was no chicken over it). For the first 30 minutes, I had the burners on high, then medium for an hour, then high for the final 30 minutes.
That is because you likely had all three burners on high… with the lid down it provides a roasting function. Having the cneter burner off and the outside ones on creass better circulation of the hot air whether the lid is open or closed. I have been cooking on a TEC for years and have never had the trouble that Wilf did…I have used three separate machines in three places.
Don… I think that burner is on the side, not below the rotisseri, if so, lid up and let it go until done…
That is because you likely had all three burners on high… with the lid down it provides a roasting function. Having the cneter burner off and the outside ones on creass better circulation of the hot air whether the lid is open or closed. I have been cooking on a TEC for years and have never had the trouble that Wilf did…I have used three separate machines in three places.
Don… I think that burner is on the side, not below the rotisseri, if so, lid up and let it go until done…