This is true end-of-summer fare. A batch of pesto from the basil that's growing gangly in the garden. (Try our zippy Asian Pesto, Basil-Mint Pesto or Spicy Sage and Parsley Pesto.) A spatchcocked (butterflied) chicken cooked (relatively) quickly on the grill, since the days are shorter now. Which is good. I like saying goodbye to a season with a taste of all I love about it—and this grilled chicken recipe has it.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (4 pounds)
- ½ cup pesto (try our Asian Pesto, Basil-Mint Pesto or Spicy Sage and Parsley Pesto)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut out the backbone of the chicken with kitchen sheers, and discard (or save to make chicken stock). Pry the chicken open, and lay bone down on a cutting board. Give it a few good whacks with the palm of your hand right down the middle to flatten the chicken.
- Gently work the tips of your fingers under the skin. Rub half the pesto under the skin onto the flesh. Rub a bit of salt under the skin as well, then sprinkle the rest on the outside. Cover loosely, and keep in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Preheat grill to high (450°F), with zones for direct and indirect heat.
- When fire is ready, place chicken skin side down on indirect heat. Rotate chicken clockwise 90 degrees after 15 minutes. Then flip, and brush with remaining pesto. Grill another 10-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, and skin is crisp.
Servings: 6
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