Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken

recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-07-03
From: Marilyn,.California

Rotisserie Chicken

One 4 to 5 pound chicken
Brine

I'm posting this recipe for Sean with really detailed information since he explained that he has no idea how to cook a chicken on the rotisserie.

First, brine the chicken. Make a brine of 1 gallon of water to 1 cup of kosher salt. Bring it to a boil to dissolve the salt and then cool it completely. If the brine isn't cool, the meat will absorb too much salt. Place the cleaned, trussed chicken in a big ziploc bag and pour the brine into the bag. Seal it and then place it into another ziploc to ensure against leaking. Marinate the chicken for 8 hours. Take the chicken out of the marinade but do not rinse it. If you aren't ready to cook it, simply put it into another plastic bag and leave it in the fridge. The chicken, depending on the size, will take 2-1/2 to 3 hours to cook over INDIRECT heat on the rotisserie. This means that you will turn the heat on one side of the barbecue and have the chicken on the spit on the adjacent side. Use a low flame. Close the lid and let it cook. You can check it occasionally and baste it if you like with a little wine or beer, but it's really not necessary. By the brining process, you will have the moistest, tenderest chicken you have ever tasted. For more information go to the San Francisco Chronicle on the web and access the article entitled "Ready for Brine Time." It has a wealth of information. Note that the brine will not make the chicken taste salty. It tenderizes the meat and hygroscopy makes the meat absorb the water.