BBQ Chicken and Grilled Asparagus

Recipe: BBQ Chicken and Grilled Asparagus
Page: 150
Date Cooked: October 14, 2012

The ingredients for this recipe were quite simple. Also, it felt like a healthy meal. Or at least in Jonathan Waxman terms, fairly healthy. I enjoyed Jonathan Waxman's recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken so I was excited about bbq-ing a whole chicken as well.

Ingredients: Chicken, Kosher salt, pepper, green beans, olive oil, asparagus, new potatoes, red wine vinegar, frisee lettuce, and unsalted butter

First, I prepared my charcoal grill. I then proceeded to butterfly the chicken and rubbed it with salt and pepper. I snapped the tough parts of the asparagus stalks. I also cleaned the potatoes. I placed the chicken skin side down on the grill and arranged the potatoes and asparagus around it. I covered the grill and let it cook.

Prep for the grill

In the meantime, I brought a pot of salted water to a boil. I topped and tailed the green beans and then cooked them in the boiling water for a few minutes. Once cooked, I tossed the green beans with some olive oil.

Cooking the green beans

I removed the asparagus from the grill and turned the potatoes. I mixed together the red wine vinegar and oil. I seasoned the vinaigrette with salt and pepper. I tossed the beans and frisee with the vinaigrette. I also tossed the asparagus with some butter and seasoned them with salt and pepper.

Left: Grilled asparagus tossed in butter
Right: Green beans and frisee salad

I pulled the chicken and potatoes off the grill as well.

BBQ chicken and potatoes

I then got ready to plate. I cut the chicken into pieces. I placed the bean and frisee salad on a plate, topped it with a piece of chicken. Finally, I set some potatoes and asparagus on the plate as well.

BBQ Chicken and Grilled Asparagus

The chicken was delicious - cooked perfectly and had this great grill flavor. The vinaigrette in the frisee and green bean salad provided the acidity for the meal. And the buttered asparagus gave some fat to the dish. But really, I thought it felt balanced and very all-American. I definitely will be bbq-ing a whole chicken again! It was almost too easy - butterfly the chicken, place it on the grill - skin-side down, and let it cook. All in all, simple and yummy.

Enjoy!