I must confess, I played it safe with my first open fire meal to show you, by cooking chicken
There are a number of reasons why... the first being expense
I am appalled at how the chicken farming industry (even organic) has chosen to charge such an insanely expensive amount for chicken breasts — de boned -
appalled I say!
$17 was the most expensive for a large family pack — but the average while shopping around was $15...
appalled
Being that our freezer did not have any more chicken (which will soon be remedied) I don't just shop around for the cheapest meat... I just can't... not after seeing so many video accounts of the conditions they treat chickens or what they feed them... If I am in a 'pickle' and can't find organic (which is exactly what happened to me when shopping for this dish) then all natural — no added hormone meat/etc, is what I end up with.
I am sorry to say, that I wasn't pleased with the chicken... but if I hadn't raised our own heritage birds and primarily only eat that humanely treated truly free range chicken I wouldn't have 'scoffed' at the store bought.
You could just say I just made an extremely long excuse for not preparing one of our own chickens instead of going to the store... eh hem...
At any rate, this open fire chicken recipe was a huge hit and we had enough to add to salad the following day with that homemade ranch dressing... I even threw in a few strawberries, hard boiled eggs, some sunflower seeds, and chopped green onions from the garden.
To prepare your chicken — even if it is from your own farmyard — make sure you rinse and pat dry...
Make sure you have your grill set up before starting the fire.
For the fire:
1) start with putting your logs in place... leaning the tops together (to form a tepee of sorts)
2) gather some kindling (twigs and pine needles) and put those under the logs
3) light the kindling (blocking the wind with your body if need be) and gently blow onto the kindling to keep the fire burning
4) add more kindling if necessary in order to catch the logs on fire as well
5) once the logs are burning well, let them be on fire for at least 30 minutes until you start seeing that lovely gray ash form on the logs
6) start moving the logs under your grate to disperse the heat as evenly as you can
when putting the chicken onto the grill, put the center one on first... now, I'm not just saying this to make it look nice, or cook the middle... I am saying this because it is quite possible that if you lay one on the edge of the grill, well, it could flip off and land into the hot ashes as you yourself flip out that you just were so stupid... it's possible you know...
Start your grill about 12" from the fire.
open fire chicken
drizzle olive oil onto (bone in) chicken breasts — pick some thyme and rosemary, rub it over the chicken and then leave it on the top of the chicken to add flavor — sprinkle with sea salt and pepper if desired
let cook on bone side down for 20 minutes — keeping an eye on that underside -
flip the chicken over when a golden brown and continue cooking the skin side down until golden also
(if you are using de-boned chicken breasts, the cooking time will decrease, but so will your wallet)
keep an eye on the fire, and move around your logs in order to try and get the heat consistent under all the chicken... if need be, use a pair of tongs to move the chicken around if one is browning too much in one spot... you may also have to raise your grill or lower your grill depending on the intensity of the heat
the chicken is done when it is golden brown on both sides — to double check, remove from the heat, and slice through the thickest part of the biggest chicken breast and if no longer pink, it's done
yum
so good
and worth every last moment soaking up the time outdoors... having the children around me... under the trees overlooking the fields... thankful for the hardworking husband to bring home the money to purchase this chicken... for the storm that took down the tree in order to fuel this meal... for the herbs growing abundantly in the garden to enhance this dish...
so good
To go along with this chicken dish, my home made fresh herb focaccia bread was a must. Over the fire, it made the most delicious flavor... sharing that recipe this week too.
I am also wanting to share something with you that has been very near to my soul... a project I am working on internally that seems to have crept out... I just can't hold it in any longer, and am working on writing more about that... no, it's nothing for the world... but for me... for you... for others...
A spiritual enhancement that is a life altering way of being.
xo+fired up blessings,