SMOKED AND ROASTED WHOLE CHICKEN
Serving a roasted whole chicken is one of the easiest but most impressive lunch or dinner options. Not only do you have a nice centerpiece for a meal but there are bound to be leftovers for the next few days. Brining and smoking that chicken first will result in flavors beyond what any rotisserie chicken could ever deliver. Spatchcocking the chicken will allow more brine and smoke flavor to be absorbed and also cut down on the final roasting time.
INGREDIENTS:
1 3-4 pound whole chicken, spatchcocked
6 tablespoons Smokehouse All-Purpose Brine Mix
3 tablespoons Smokehouse Black Pepper Jerky Seasoning
6-7 cups of water
Smoke chips of choice*
ROASTING GLAZE:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Spatchcock whole chicken by cutting out the backbone with kitchen shears.
(The backbone, neck and giblets make an excellent chicken stock.)
Turn chicken breast-side up and press down until chicken is flat. Trim any extra fat and skin and discard.
In a large brining container, dissolve Smokehouse Brine Mix and Smokehouse Black Pepper Seasoning with 1 cup of boiling water.
Add remaining cold water to the mix and stir well. Add chicken to brine mixture making sure it is fully submerged. Refrigerate 8-12 hours.
Remove chicken from brine and place, breast-side up, on a rack. Dry, uncovered and refrigerated 30 minutes to an hour. Prepare Little Chief or Big Chief Smoker by filling the pan with wood chips. Always make sure clean foil lines the pan to avoid off-flavors. Plug in smoker and pre-heat until chips begin to smoke. Smoke chicken 1.5 to 2 hours, replacing chips at least once.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl mix glaze ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Remove chicken from smoker but keep on the smoker rack. Place rack on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush glaze on chicken and roast, glazing every 10-15 minutes until chicken reaches desired doneness or 150-155 degrees. (About 40-50 minutes.) If the skin begins to brown too much, loosely cover with foil. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Store chicken in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or vacuum seal and freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe by: Tiffany Haugen
*Smoke Flavor Guide
For a mild smoke flavor, use apple or alder wood chips
For a medium smoke flavor, use cherry or Smokehouse Blend wood chips
For a stronger smoke flavor, use hickory or mesquite wood chips
