Cornell Chicken with Grilled Steak Fries
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 8 servings
- Total: 3 hr 55 min
- Prep: 40 min
- Inactive: 2 hr 10 min
- Cook: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients
Brine:
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
8 whole cloves
8 black peppercorns
8 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 fresh sage leaves
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Two 3 1/2-pound chickens, halved, keel bones and wing tips removed
Canola oil, for brushing
Spice Mixture:
3 tablespoons dried sage
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Sauce:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons clover honey
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Grilled Steak Fries, for serving, recipe follows
Grilled Steak Fries:
5 large Yukon gold or russet potatoes, par cooked in salted water
Canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Finely chopped fresh chives
Directions
- For the brine: Whisk 8 cups cold water, the vinegar, salt, sugar, cloves, peppercorns, rosemary, sage and thyme until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Do not brine any longer than 2 hours or the chicken will start to break down.
- For the spice mixture: Stir the sage, marjoram, pepper, rosemary, thyme, celery seeds and ground cloves in a small bowl.
- For the sauce: Whisk the vinegar, mustard, honey, rosemary, thyme and sage in a bowl until smooth.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Rinse under cold water and pat dry. Brush the chicken with canola oil. Sprinkle the skin side of the chicken with half the spice mixture and some salt and pepper.
- Prepare a charcoal grill for direct and indirect cooking. On the direct side, have the coals at medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken skin side down on the grill, over direct heat. Rub the bottom of the chicken with the remaining half the spice mixture. Grill the chicken until well browned, about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken skin side up and baste 1/3 cup of the sauce.
- Move the chicken to indirect heat, cover, and cook until the thigh meat registers 165 degrees F, about 40 minutes longer. Baste with 1/3 cup of the sauce every few minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Brush with the remaining 1/3 cup of the sauce and sprinkle with parsley. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Arrange on a platter with the Grilled Steak Fries.
Grilled Steak Fries:
- Heat the grill to medium heat. Cut each potato into eighths. Brush the potatoes with canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the potatoes until lightly golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes each side. Transfer to a platter and immediately drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with more salt and chives.