Recipe

Butter and Wine Basted Chicken

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 2 hr
Serves: 4

This recipe is a delicious way to use your rotisserie spit! The rewards of cooking chicken rotisserie style are many: crisp, golden brown skin, juicy succulent meat and, best of all, this method requires minimal attention.

Ingredients

3 lb (1.4 kg) whole chicken
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) shallots, finely-chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) parsley, chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) thyme, fresh, chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) thyme, dried
1 tsp (5 mL) rosemary, fresh, chopped
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) rosemary, dried
pepper, to taste
1/3 cup (75 mL) white wine, dry

Instructions

1 Rinse chicken; pat dry. Hook wing tips back behind body, tie securely with cotton twine, set aside.
2 Combine butter, shallots, parsley, thyme, rosemary and pepper if desired.
3 Using your fingertips, gently loosen skin around chicken breast. Stuff each side of breast with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) herb butter mixture, gently pressing on skin surface to spread evenly. Tie legs together securely. Insert the spit-rod lengthwise through cavity of chicken and secure with holding forks making sure chicken is balanced.
4 In saucepan, melt remaining herb butter mixture. Remove from heat; stir in wine. Set aside and reserve for basting.
5 Attach spit-rod to rotisserie with drip pan directly beneath chicken. Cook over medium-hot grill, for 1 ½ to 2 hours, basting about every 15 minutes. On charcoal-fired grill, it may be necessary to add more coals.
6 The chicken should be roasted until a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 180°F (82°C), and/or the juices run clear when pierced at the thickest part.