This recipe for Haitian Style Grilled Chicken caught my attention as the photo was enticing, and the original recipe had ‘My Favorite’ in the title. This recipe did not disappoint, it is really delicious and it got me to try roasting chicken directly on the grill.
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- 1 whole medium sized chicken cut into serving sizes, bone in, skin on
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup fish sauce
- 1 tbspn kosher salt
- 4 stalks lemon grass stalk chopped or 3 tablespoons of prepared lemon grass paste
- 1 small bunch cilantro stems chopped leaves reserved for garnish
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Whole Black Peppercorns
- 3 tbspn light soy sauce
- 2 tbspn coriander seeds or 3 tablespoons of ground coriander
- 8 cloves garlic
- Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Cut a whole chicken into serving sized pieces.
- Combine all marinade ingredients, except cilantro leaves, in a food processor. Pulse contents until it forms a coarse purée.
- Place chicken pieces in a plastic resalable bag and add about 1/2 to 3/4 of the marinade. Message chicken pieces in the bag to make sure that all the pieces are evenly coated.
- Marinate the chicken for 3-4 hours or up to over night.
- Remove chicken from refrigerator an hour before grilling.
- Pre heat grill to 500°
- Oil the BBQ grill using a pair of tongs and a paper towel generously drizzled with olive oil.
- Remove chicken pieces to paper towel and pat dry.
- When the grill has reached 500°, place chicken pieces on the grill, skin side down, and grill for 5-6 minutes. Do not try to turn the chicken before the time is up.
- Heat reserved marinade in a small pan. I used an aluminum tin that I placed on the grill next to the chicken.
- After 6-8 minutes, turn the chicken pieces. Brush with reserved warm marinade, close the grill cover, and grill for 8-10 minutes.
- Turn the chicken after 8-10 minutes, skin side down again, and grill for another 4-5 minutes.
The chef, Gregory Gourdet, details this recipe with ingredients which showcase healthy eating. Many of the ingredients are specialty items so I have, with all due respect, modified his recipe to use more commonly sourced ingredients. I don't believe that these substitutions hinder the flavors.
Chef Gourdet also mentions that you should grill the chicken until it's black, but just short of burning and charring.
I tried grilling directly on the grate of my electric grill for this recipe, and found that oiling the grates and grilling without interrupting the grilling process actually produces the results that he talks about.