A TIMELESS CLASSIC: TWO WHOLE CHICKENS ROTATING OVER THE COALS, WITH CRISPY SKIN AND PERFECTLY JUICY MEAT
Serves 6-12 people
- EGG set up: Rotisserie direct
- Recommended charcoal: Canadian Maple
- EGG target temperature: 180C-200C
- Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes, or until you reach an internal temperature of 72C for the legs and 63C for the breasts
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 2 whole medium to large free range chickens
- 6 sprigs of rosemary
- Handful of sage
- Handful of thyme
- Rapeseed oil
- Sea salt
OVERVIEW
This is the simplest of Rotisserie recipes- nothing more than chicken, oil and salt. Plus some optional herbs or herb butter, if you’re so inclined. That simplicity means you owe it to yourself to buy the best quality birds you can: high welfare chickens with flavoursome meat and good fat coverage. Cook to temperature not time to avoid the twin perils of either inedibly undercooked or sadly dried-out meat.
SET UP YOUR EGG
Set up your EGG for direct rotisserie cooking, with the Rotisserie ring in place and the motor unit plugged in.
Make sure the giblets are removed from the chicken, then pat the skin dry. Remove the top fork from the Rotisserie spit. Place the first chicken on the the spit, threading from the rear to the neck. Securely skewer the bird onto the bottom fork, making sure there are no loose limbs. Add the second chicken to the spit and skewer it with the top fork, then tighten the wing screws. Make sure the birds are placed in the centre of the spit, allowing it to turn in the rotation grooves.
You can add your sage and rosemary sprigs into both chicken cavities, if you’re feeling adventurous, make your own herby butter and stuff it under the skin. Thyme, rosemary, garlic and parsley are always winners.
METHOD
Cover the chicken all over with the oil. with EGG Mitts on, place the spit into the Rotisserie motor.
Turn on the motor and watch the birds rotate. After a full rotation, check that the chickens are secure, season them evenly with salt as they turn, then close the dome.
For an average-sized chicken, cook time is about an hour. You are looking for an internal temperature of 72C.
