PORTUGUESE STYLE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN

Have you ever stopped at a Portuguese rotisserie chicken place? If you found it delicious, tender and juicy, you must try this recipe!
Difficulty 3/5 Prep Time 15 MIN Cook Time 1.5 HRS Serves 8

Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Azores, Brazilian, Portugal, Portuguese
Servings: 2 whole chickens

INGREDIENTS

2 whole chickens (ours were around 3.75 lbs or 1.7 kg each)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened a little more than room temperature, but not to a liquid state.
1/4 cup Frank’s Original Hot Sauce (or other thick “mild” hot sauce)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 lemon, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. Connect your rotisserie attachment to the barbecue.
2. Remove the center cooking grids from barbecue.
3. Center a drip pan (or pans) under the rotisserie, positioning it so it will be beneath the center of the chickens.
4. Turn on the barbecue’s rear rotisserie burner and heat it to 400 ºF with the lid closed.
5. In a bowl, mix together the butter, Frank’s hot sauce, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
6. Remove the chickens from the fridge.
7. With clean hands, slather a bit of the sauce mixture inside both chickens and add 3 lemon wedges to each chicken.
8. Using chicken twine, truss* (tie) both chickens tightly.
9. Make sure the first spit fork is tightly secured. Position it so that once both chickens are on the spit, they’re centered on the spit.
10. Insert the first chicken through the spit, wing side opening first, until it reaches the spit fork, and carefully (watch the sharp ends) press it until the chicken is secured to the spit fork.
11. Insert the second chicken through the spit until it’s snug up against the first chicken.
12. Insert the second spit fork on the spit, sharp ends toward the second chicken and push firmly until the second chicken is secure. Both chickens should sit on the spit tightly to avoid wobbling during cooking.
13. Open the barbecue lid and fit the spit into the rotisserie motor end and then rest the other end of the spit on the opposite end of the barbecue. Follow your barbecue manufacturer’s instructions for this step.
14. Turn on the rotisserie motor, close the lid and cook at 400 ºF for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The time may very depending on the size of the chickens. A thermometer inserted between the thigh and the breast should read 165 ºF.
15. Stop the rotisserie motor and remove the spit.
16. Loosen and remove the first spit fork.
17. Slide both chickens onto a roasting pan to keep your food prep area clean.
18. Cut the chickens into quarters or eighths and place the pieces on a serving dish with the cooked lemon wedges.
19. Pour the juices from the drip pans into a bowl. Let the fat rise to the top and skim off some of the fat. Serve these juices along side the chicken.
20. Serve the chicken with roasted potatoes, fries, salad or any other favourite side. Enjoy!

Nelson and Liz Cardoso, www.photosandfood.ca