Putting a piece of meat on a stick and cooking it slowly over an open fire is likely one of the oldest methods of cooking, yet we still love it. Today we don't have to rub two sticks together to get the fire going---we can merely push a button on our gas grill, go back to watching the game and enjoy a perfectly roasted chicken without even having to turn the spit. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Preparing the Bird
Unlike plopping a chicken in a roasting pan and setting it in the oven, a little more care needs to go into preparing chicken for the spit. As the rotisserie turns, the legs and wings will dangle and cook faster than the rest of the bird unless they are trussed up. Use kitchen string to secure the wings and legs to the body of the bird. You can purchase trussing string at the supermarket. Don't buy string made of synthetic materials, since these can melt into your food. Kitchen string is generally made of heavy cotton and is designed not to burn.
Roasting
Set your grill to 425 degrees and preheat for at least 10 minutes before putting the chicken over the heat. If your grill allows you a choice of direct or indirect heat, set the flame to the indirect setting after preheating. Apply salt, pepper or other seasonings to your chicken. Slide the chicken securely onto the spit, pushing it down until it reaches the middle of the skewer. Place the spit on the turning mechanism and close the lid.
After 30 minutes of cooking time, check to see how your chicken is doing. You are looking to see if the wings and legs are still securely trussed and that the skin isn't burning. If the skin is browning too quickly, you can reduce the temperature of the grill. If the legs have fallen out of their truss you can try to re-tie them, but this may be more trouble than it's worth and will lengthen the overall cooking time while you deal with it. Your best option would be to use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the legs off and finish baking them off in the oven.
Temperature
Chicken needs to be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees in order to be eaten safely. A 3- to 4-lb. chicken cooked on a rotisserie at 425 degrees will generally take between 40 minutes and an hour to cook. After 40 minutes, use a kitchen thermometer and place the probe into the thickest part of the breast, being careful not to push all the way to the bone. Once your chicken reaches 165 degrees, it can be pulled off the spit. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.
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