Cider Brined Grill Roasted Chicken With Grilled Apples And Sage Food

GRILLED APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the brine and chicken: Combine the salt, brown sugar and 16 cups (1 gallon) cold water in a large plastic container and stir to dissolve. Add the chicken; cover and refrigerate to marinate for 4 to 6 hours.
• Prepare a charcoal fire using about 6 pounds of charcoal and burn until the coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread the coals evenly over the grill bottom, position the grill rack above the coals and heat until medium hot (when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for no longer than 3 or 4 seconds). Or, for a gas grill, turn on all burners to high, close the lid and heat until very hot, 10 to 15 minutes.
• For the basting liquid: Whisk together 1/2 cup water, the vinegar, oil, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Drain the chicken well and pat dry; sprinkle with pepper. Apply some oil to the grill grate. Place the chicken on the grill, leaving plenty of space between each piece. Grill until seared, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium or move the chicken to a cooler part of the grill. Continue to grill, turning occasionally and brushing with the basting liquid, until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pieces from the grill as they cook and transfer to a warm platter. Serve immediately!

APPLE CIDER CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, add to pan and sear until golden, about 4 minutes each side. Remove chicken from pan, and set aside. Add remaining butter and onion, apple, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Saute until apple begins to get color and onions soften, about 6 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 to 3 minutes. Nestle chicken back into pan, add cider, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.

APPLE CIDER-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine apple cider, apple jelly, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir just until jelly melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let marinade cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Place chicken thighs and marinade into a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and let marinate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove chicken from the bag and discard marinade.
• Grill chicken thighs until no longer pink in the centers, turning frequently being careful not to let chicken burn, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

MAPLE SAGE GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons apple juice, brown sugar, olive oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, mustard, sage, garlic and salt until blended. Pour 1 cup marinade into a shallow dish. Add chicken; turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Drain chicken, discarding marinade in dish. Place chicken on oiled grill rack. Grill, covered, over medium heat until a thermometer reads 165°, 7-8 minutes on each side., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine reserved marinade, remaining 1/2 cup apple juice and remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, 5-7 minutes. Serve with chicken.

GRILLED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare your grill by heating it for about 15 minutes on high.
• In the mean time, wash and pat dry your bird. Make sure its totally thawed. It won't cook evenly if there are some frozen parts in it.
• Coat the bird with the oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Get yourself a large roasting pan that is bbq. safe and set a raised rack inside it. Put the chicken on this.
• Put the pan with the bird in it on the grill and close the lid.
• If you are doing the indirect heat method, turn off one burner and set the pan on the opposite side of the grill from the lit burner. That is what I read on the Internet as to how to do this.
• However, being the adventuresome sort that I am, I decided to leave both the burners on but maintained a temperature of 350'F through out the whole cooking process.
• I grill roasted my bird for about 1 1/2 hours. But of course this depends on your grill. This is what my instruction booklet said to do.
• Use an oven thermometer to gauge the temperature. I stuck the pointy end of the gauge into the thickest part of the chicken thigh and when it registered just under 165'F that is when I added the bbq. sauce on top of the bird.
• I used about 1/4-1/2 cup. I like lots. I closed the lid of the bbq. and let it roast for another 5-7 minutes.
• Once it was 165'F I took the pan with the finished chicken in it and set in on my counter and put another pan on top of it to finish the cooking process. Leave for 15 minutes. You can use tin foil to cover it also.
• This last step of letting the bird sit with a lid for 15 minutes will help redistribute the juices in the meat. Be patient, its worth it.
• When the 15 minutes is up, dig in!
• Bon Appetit.

CIDER-BRINED GRILL-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH GRILLED APPLES AND SAGE

Steps:

• Brine the bird: In a small nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, combine the cider, table salt, the 2 Tbs. chopped sage, the rosemary, peppercorns and bay leaf and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour the brine mixture into a large, deep nonreactive bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in the ice water. Add the chicken, submerging it completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 to 6 hours.
• Soak the wood chips in cold water to cover for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Drain the wood chips before using.
• Prepare a grill for indirect grilling over high heat. Sprinkle the drained wood chips over the coals or use a wood-chip smoker box on the gas grill. Replace the grill grate and lightly oil it.
• Remove the chicken from the brine and discard the brine. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the cool side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 160°F, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving it. Grill the apples while the bird rests.
• Peel and core the apples and quarter each apple lengthwise. Toss the apples with the 2 teaspoons oil to coat. Place the apples on the hot side of the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until seared with grill marks on all sides and tender-crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Add the 2 teaspoons chopped sage and the butter to the apples and toss to coat. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
• Arrange the apples on the platter around the chicken. Carve the chicken and serve immediately. Serves 4.