[ess_post]
A proper rotisserie chicken is a thing of beauty. I’ve whipped this one up with a naughty little chipotle sauce that you paint, Picasso-style, all over it as it rotates on the BBQ. I’ve paired it with a slaw that’s bursting with flavour courtesy of chargrilled sweetcorn and pineapple.
Ingredients
Chicken
1.6kg free-range chicken
1 x 200g tin of La Morena chipotle sauce
100g tomato sauce
100ml cola
Slaw
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and pepper
½ large white cabbage, finely shredded
2 large carrots, julienned or grated
3 stalks of celery, finely sliced
1/3 cup finely sliced spring onions (green parts only)
Large handful of coriander, finely chopped
2 corn cobs, husks and silks removed
4 pineapple rings (fresh or canned is fine)
Recipe
Chicken: Preheat your BBQ and rotisserie grill. Your goal temperature with the hood closed is 160-180°C. (See BBQ Tips below for more pointers.)
Set up and plug in your rotisserie motor so that when your chicken is on the spit all you need to do is slot it in and switch it on.
Marinade: Whisk the chipotle sauce, tomato sauce and cola in a bowl and set aside.
Secure your chicken onto the rotisserie skewer. (See BBQ Tips for more pointers.)
Once the chicken is securely fastened, mount it onto the BBQ motor, close the hood and switch it on.
After 10 minutes, grab a basting brush and give the chicken a good brush of marinade all over, making sure you get into every nook and cranny. Close the hood and then repeat the basting every 10 minutes for 1-1 ¼ hours, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Once cooked, remove the chicken and rest it for at least 30 minutes before carving. This will help it retain its juices and stay nice and moist.
It’s okay if you get a few charred and gnarly bits on the chicken, but keep an eye on it, as you don’t want it to burn.
Slaw: While the chicken cooks, whisk the mayonnaise and maple syrup with a good pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, carrot, celery, spring onion and coriander and set aside.
When you’ve finished cooking the chicken, crank the burners up and place the corn and pineapple slices on the grill until the corn is cooked through and the pineapple has beautiful char marks.
You want these char marks as they’ll add mega flavour to the slaw.
Remove the corn and pineapple and allow to cool. Once cooled, dice the pineapple and slice the corn from the cob, then mix through the coleslaw.
To serve, remove the chicken from the rotisserie skewer and carve into drum sticks, thighs, wings, and breasts. Place on a large serving platter and you’re ready to go.
BBQ Tips:
- Take the chicken out of the fridge at least 2-3 hours before cooking to bring it to room temperature.
- When securing the chicken to the rotisserie skewer make sure you use the counterweights to balance it so it rotates and cooks evenly.
- Secure the wings in place by tucking them into the thighs. You can also secure them with a toothpick through the wing into the breast.
- Sometimes the marinade can start to burn towards the end. If this happens, turn the rotisserie griller off or right down and continue to cook using the burners as your heat source, making sure you maintain the target temperature with the hood closed.
- When you’ve finished using your barbecue, always clean it down with a steel wire brush while it’s hot, as it makes for a speedier clean up.
