Charcoal Chicken: Portuguese-Australian Butterflied Chicken Grilled over Coals

Steps

1. 1Trim the fat and cut the bird open

   Lay the chicken breast side up on the board and pull away any loose lumps of fat from the cavity and neck. Cut down through the breastbone with kitchen scissors or a heavy knife, working from one end to the other. Open the bird out with both hands as you go. Stop when the bird lies open in one piece, both halves still joined along the back.

2. 2Flatten, slash and prick the chicken

   Turn the bird over and press firmly along the backbone with the heel of your hand until it lies flat. Make a small cut under each wing so the bird spreads wider. Turn it skin side up, cut a few shallow slashes into the meat, then prick the skin all over with a fork. The bird is ready when it lies flat and wide, with an even thickness from breast to leg, so the coals reach every part at the same pace.

3. 3Mix the marinade

   Put the crushed garlic, lemon juice, bay leaf powder, sweet paprika, whisky and softened butter into a medium bowl. Stir and press with a spoon until the butter breaks up and disappears into the liquid. Keep going until you have a thick, glossy, orange-red paste with no streaks of plain butter.

4. 4Brush the bird, salt it and chill

   Lay the chicken in a shallow tray and brush the marinade over both sides, working it into the slashes. Scatter rock salt over the whole bird. Keep the rest of the marinade in its bowl for basting. Cover the tray and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes. When it comes out, the skin should be coated evenly orange-red with no bare patches.

   Keep the bowls apart

   The marinade bowl holds raw-chicken liquid from here on and goes only to the grill. The chilli sauce is made fresh in a clean jar and is the only sauce that reaches the table.

5. 5Make the chilli sauce

   In a small jar, mix the chopped chillies, a pinch of salt, the juice of half a lemon, the olive oil and the garlic powder. Stir well and leave it to sit while the chicken chills, so the heat moves into the oil. Taste a drop and add more chilli only if you want more heat. It is ready when it looks thick and spoonable, red flecks suspended in oil.

6. 6Grill over the coals, turning and basting

   Light the charcoal and wait until the coals glow under a coat of grey ash. Lay the chicken flat on the grate. Turn it often with the raw-chicken tongs and brush on the leftover marinade each time, for about 30 minutes. Use steady, moderate heat for most of the cooking and save the fiercest heat for a last spell of colour. The skin is done when it is deep golden with some charred spots.

   Turning is the heat control

   The butter, paprika and whisky in the marinade scorch fast. Turning often keeps the skin from blackening before the inside cooks, and keeps each coat of baste turning glossy rather than burnt.

7. 7Check that the chicken is cooked through

   Pierce the thickest part of the thigh and watch the juice: it must run clear. Push the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone. The centre must reach 167°F (75°C) and stay there for at least 1 minute. If it falls short, move the bird to a cooler part of the grill and keep turning until it gets there. Lift it off with clean tongs once the juices run clear and the temperature holds.

   Colour lies on the grill

   Charred skin can hide raw meat underneath, and barbecues undercook chicken easily. Judge by the thermometer and the clear juices, not by the colour of the skin. Chicken must never be eaten raw or pink, however fresh it is, and take particular care for children, pregnant guests, older people and anyone with lowered immunity.

8. 8Rest, cut and brush with chilli sauce

   Let the chicken rest briefly on a clean board so the juices settle. Cut it into bone-in pieces with a sharp knife. Brush the chilli sauce over the cut pieces with a clean brush, letting it catch in the slashes and on the cut edges. It is ready when every piece glistens with red-flecked oil.