BLUEBERRY BBQ CHICKEN
Ingredients
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1 to 3 lb (450 g to 1.4 kg) chicken – ask your butcher to butterfly or spatchcock your chicken by cutting the backbone and sternum out and flattening
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2 tsp (10 ml) salt
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1½ tsp (8 ml) black pepper
Instructions
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To make the Blue Q Sauce (ingredients below), begin by combining the blueberries and a little of the vinegar in a food processor. Pulse the berries just to break them up. You’re not trying to achieve smooth berries at this point; you just want to get some blue juice flowing. In a Dutch oven or 4 quart (3.75 L) saucepan, combine all of the sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for one hour, covered. Give it a stir from time to time to avoid scorching the bottom.
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Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender. Pull the little knob off the top of the lid and cover it with a dish towel to prevent a mess! Blend the sauce to get it as smooth as you can, then strain it through a fine mesh strainer and transfer it back to your pan. Cook to reduce it by one-third. The Blue Q should coat the back of a spoon and be the viscosity of maple syrup. Refrigerate overnight to let things mellow out. This sauce will keep for months covered in the refrigerator.
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30 minutes before you plan to cook it, bring the chicken to room temperature and season it thoroughly with 2 tsp (10 ml) salt and 1½ tsp (8 ml) black pepper.
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Set the EGG for direct cooking without the convEGGtor at 350°F/177°C.
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Place the chicken skin-side up on the cooking grid and roast for 20 minutes, then begin basting with the blueberry sauce every 5 minutes for an additional 20 minutes of cooking. After 40 minutes total, turn the chicken over to caramelize the skin and baste the other side 10 more minutes. Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the thigh. Once it’s at 165°F/74°C, remove the chicken from the EGG and douse the chicken in blueberry sauce; let rest for 10 minutes, then cut the chicken into 6 or 8 pieces and toss once more in sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Blue Q Sauce Ingredients
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3 cups (710 ml) blueberries
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2 cups (480 ml) apple cider vinegar
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2 cups (480 ml) granulated sugar
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1 tsp (5 ml) salt
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One 3-inch cinnamon stick
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1 bay leaf
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¼ tsp (2 ml) chili flakes