Grilled Butterflied Lemon Chicken

Serves 8
Recipe also works well with chicken thighs and legs, grill on low to medium heat for much less time. 

You may not need to squeeze all the grilled lemons in step 5 to obtain 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Cut any unsqueezed lemons into wedges for serving.

Ingredients Chicken and Rub

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest from 1 lemon (reserve lemon for vinaigrette)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each), prepared according to photos 1 through 3

Vinaigrette

• 4 lemons, halved; plus halved, zested lemon from rub
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

• 1. For the chicken and rub: Combine lemon zest, salt, and pepper in bowl. Rub zest mixture under chicken skin and tuck wings according to photo 4. Transfer chickens to rack set over rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes. (Chickens may be prepared up to this point 24 hours in advance; allow chickens to sit at room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.)
• 2. Open bottom grill vents completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 100) and burn until charcoal is covered with fine gray ash. Place 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum roasting pan on one side of grill and pour hot coals into pile on opposite side. Evenly scatter 20 unlit coals on top of hot coals and set cooking grate in place. Cover, with lid vents positioned over cooler side of grill and opened fully. Let grill heat up 5 minutes. Scrape grate clean.
• 3. Dip wad of paper towels in oil and oil grate, holding paper towels with long-handled tongs. Place lemon halves cut side down over hot side of grill. Place chickens skin-side down over cooler side of grill, with legs positioned closest to the coals. Cover, with opened vents in lid over chicken.
• 4. Grill lemons until deep brown and caramelized, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Grill chickens until skin is well browned and breast meat registers 160 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes. Move chickens to hot side of grill and sear, uncovered, until deep brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
• 5. For the vinaigrette: While chickens are grilling, squeeze 1/3 cup juice from grilled lemons into bowl. Using flat side of knife, mash garlic and salt into paste and add to bowl with lemon juice. Stir in mustard, sugar, pepper, and parsley, then slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified.
• 6. Transfer chickens to cutting board and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Carve, transfer to serving platter, and pour 1/3 cup vinaigrette over chicken. Serve, passing remaining vinaigrette at table.
  
  

  How to Butterfly a Chicken

  With a few scissor snips and a little leveling from a meat pounder, whole chickens can be quickly flattened to promote even cooking on the grill.

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    1. Cut through the bones on either side of the backbone and trim any excess fat or skin at the neck.
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    2. Flip the chicken over and use the heel of your hand to flatten the breastbone.
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    3. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap. Using a meat pounder or rubber mallet, pound the breast to the same thickness as the leg and thigh meat.
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    4. Slip your hand between the skin and meat to loosen the skin. Rub salt mixture under skin and into breast and leg meat.
    
    from cookscountry.com