Thanksgiving Barbecued Chicken

I wanted to come up with some ideas for butterflied chicken; this is one I came up with. I was looking for the chicken to have the flavor of traditional Thanksgiving stuffing (also called dressing) which is predominantly sage. This flavoring is coupled with a weaved bacon breast-plate and slow cooked in my smoker. I must say this turned out to be some of the best chicken I've ever had.

Butterflying the Chicken.

This is easy enough with some good kitchen shears. Cut along sides of the backbone of the chicken, thus removing it. Remove also any extra fat or overhanging skin. Wash and dry thoroughly.

Making the Herb-Butter.

1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh sage

1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh rosemary

5 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1 dash pepper

3 Tbsp. butter (brought to room temp)

Mix it all up. Smear this all over the chicken (this is easier to do with a dry bird).

Bacon Weave.

The weave was made out of 3 strips of bacon that I cut in half the short way. Once I weaved the bacon into a diamond mat, I cut off the ends to make it more presentable. I slid a knife under the weave, lifted it and placed it on the chicken breast. I used two toothpicks, poking them through the wing-tips and bacon and into the breasts to simultaneously hold the wingtips in close to the bird (to prevent them burning) and to hold the bacon in place. I assumed when I planned this that the bacon would shrivel up too much, but I didn't have that problem. I smeared more herb-butter on the bacon, but this is optional.

Indirect Grilling.

To set up your grill for indirect grilling, place an aluminum drip pan under the cooking area and hot coals on either side. The pan will at once catch any drippings from the bird (which you can use later for gravy, etc.) and will also provide a cool spot on the grill to slow cook your food. Close the lid, open the vents to allow for some airflow and let it cook. At about a half hour you should check the temperature and turn the bird a 1/4 turn. Put the lid back down, and let it cook until temp reads at least 165 in the thigh and the breasts. Because of the nature of the butterflied chicken, the thighs are much closer to the coals, hence the 1/4 turn, and checking the temp of the breasts and the thighs.

Enjoy!! And please tell me if you tried this recipe and had any thoughts on it. I'm always looking to make good dishes even better.