An epic collision of flavours and textures — one of my all-time favourite feasts. At its heart, it’s a gloriously messy, ugly-delicious taramasalata-basted butterflied chicken - rich, savoury, and deeply satisfying. Alongside it is a dangerously addictive, garlicky toum - that Lebanese garlic sauce you’ll want to put on everything. And to complete the spread - cabbage grilled until its edges are lightly charred and smoky, the leaves softened and sweetened, mingled with silky, caramelised shallots.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Stuff a third of the marinade under the skin of the butterflied chicken’s breasts and thighs. Spread the remaining marinade all over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. Place all the toum ingredients into the fridge. This will make it easier to emulsify with less chance of splitting.
- Prepare the barbecue for cooking using indirect and direct medium heat (190°C-230°C) and preheat as directed. See below for information on premium gas and Traveler barbecue set up methods.
- View Grill Skill for setting up your Premium Gas Barbecue for Indirect Cooking
- Prepare the charcoal barbecue for cooking using indirect and direct medium heat (190°C-230°C). See below for information on how to set up a Weber Kettle.
- View Grill Skill for setting up your 57 cm Kettle for Indirect Cooking
- View Grill Skill for How to Butterfly a Whole Chicken
- Once the barbecue has preheated, brush the cooking grills clean. Adjust your barbecue to the settings for indirect medium heat. Place the butterflied chicken onto the barbecue, cavity side down. Close the lid and roast the chicken for 30 minutes.
- Once the barbecue has preheated, brush the cooking grills clean. Place the butterflied chicken onto the barbecue in the indirect zone, in the centre of the cooking grill, between the two charcoal baskets. Roast the chicken over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed, for 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is roasting, make the toum. In a small food processor (or jug with a stick blender), blitz the garlic cloves with the salt. Once blitzed, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and blend. Continue blending and slowly pour in a third of the oil. Once emulsified, add another 1 tablespoon of juice, then continue blitzing while adding another third of the oil, the remaining lemon juice, and then slowly add the water and the remaining oil - alternating as needed until all of it is fully combined. The toum can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated and for up to 4 weeks.
- Once the chicken has roasted for 30 minutes, baste with half the taramasalata. Roast for a further 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches approximately 66-68°C, basting every 15 minutes with the remaining taramasalata.
- While the chicken is roasting, cut the cabbage into 6 cm thick wedges. Drizzle the cabbage with oil and season with salt flakes. Grill the cabbage and shallots over direct medium heat for 20 minutes, or until lightly charred on the outer layers. Add the cabbage and shallots to a heatproof container, cover with a lid, and leave to sweat and soften while they rest.
- While the chicken is roasting, cut the cabbage into 6 cm thick wedges. Drizzle the cabbage with oil and season with salt flakes. Grill the cabbage and shallots over direct medium heat (on the cooking grill, directly above the charcoal baskets) for 20 minutes, or until lightly charred on the outer layers. Add the cabbage and shallots to a heatproof container, cover with a lid, and leave to sweat and soften while they rest.
- Once the chicken has reached 66-68°C, using tongs and a sturdy spatula, flip the chicken over, skin side down, onto direct heat. Grill the chicken over direct medium heat for 6 to 10 minutes, until the skin is looking deep golden and delicious, and the internal temperature of the chicken is no less than 71°C (the temperature will continue to rise 3-6°C, to the safe internal temperate of 74°C as it rests).
- Once the chicken has reached 66-68°C, it’s time to flip the chicken over direct heat. If desired, remove the chicken from the barbecue, remove the cooking grill and rearrange the charcoal baskets into the centre (you will need to remove the drip pan if you’re using one). Replace the cooking grill and lid, leave the cooking grill to preheat for 5 minutes. Using tongs and a sturdy spatula, flip the chicken over, skin side down, onto direct heat. Grill the chicken over direct medium heat for 6 to 10 minutes, until the skin is looking deep golden and delicious, and the internal temperature of the chicken is no less than 71°C (the temperature will continue to rise 3-6°C, to the safe internal temperate of 74°C as it rests).
- Once the chicken has cooked, remove it from the barbecue and leave to rest. Trim the root end off the shallots and peel away the papery skin. Dress the cabbage with white balsamic and a little extra olive oil. If desired, pipe the toum onto a serving platter. Carve the chicken. Arrange the chicken onto the platter along with the cabbage and shallots. Garnish with finely chopped parsley.
- Weber Traveler: Indirect cooking is not available on a Traveler Barbecue but this recipe can be cooked using direct medium heat (190°C-230°C), simply cook the chicken, cavity side down for 40 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook skin side down for a further 15 minutes or until fully cooked through.
Marinade:
Cabbage:
Burnt Shallots:
Toum:
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