The giving spirit from my loved ones at Christmas time, along with the subtle hint of sending them a link to my Amazon Wish List landed me a rotisserie attachment for my Weber Smokey Mountain under the tree this past December.
I didn’t want its inaugural cook to be on a cold, rainy, or snowy day, so I bided my time until the all the stars aligned. On this past April Saturday, it was cloudy with no rain, and the temperature reached about 72 degrees. So this seemed like an ideal opportunity to make my first rotisserie chicken.
Cluckin’ A
The chicken got about six hours in brine, after which I patted down dry and injected with the bird booster injector mix to enhance the flavor and moisture. Then applied a rotisserie rub I found online:
- 2 Tsp Paprika
- 5 Tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- Salt & Pepper
Once the seasoning was on, I took that split and drove it right through that bird. Something oddly satisfying about it, I have to say.
I let the chicken rest on the counter while I fired up the smoker. I used Mesquite wood this time to hopefully add a little zest to the chicken rub.
Once the smoker hit 300 degrees, I placed the split on the attachment, fed the pointy end into the motor, and let her rip.
Of course, I had to stand there for about 10 seconds to just watch it rotate. That’s what BBQ dudes do when they have a new toy, right?
Sidenote: While I was preparing the smoker, a neighbor yelled to me, “We always love the smells that come from your backyard!” It’s nice to have fans.
I ran the cook at 300 degrees to get the skin crispy, and I thought it would help the chicken finish in about two hours. It actually took a little over three. After two hours, I checked the internal temp every 30 minutes with my probe thermometer. Finally, when it reached 165, I took it off and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
So moist. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the texture and the flavors from the rub. A touch of heat, but mostly just a complement to the chicken. A successful launch of the rotisserie attachment, and I predict this to be a regular go-to dinner when I’m not creative enough to think of anything else.
The Wine: 2018 Domaine de la Folie Rully Clos La Folie
While I’m not a slave to the default “white with white meat, red with red meat” wine paring philosophy, I knew this meal would do well with a white varietal. As fate would have it, a few weeks ago, we attended a Burgundy wine tasting at Collier’s of Centreville, where we sampled outstanding expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
One of the wines was the 2018 Domaine de la Folie Rully Clos La Folie – a Chablis. For those not familiar, Chablis is Chardonnay, but not much is done to it during the winemaking process. It’s not aged in oak, for instance. It’s basically naked Chardonnay.
But of course, I like to pretend I’m smarter than I am, so I went to Wine-Searcher.com for more about Chablis and the Rully region from which this wine came:
Chablis is an historic wine-producing town and region in northern central France. produces light, dry, white wines famed for their flinty minerality and crisp acidity. AOC Chablis wines are produced exclusively from the Chardonnay grape variety.
Chablis is fermented and aged in stainless steel, with use of oak barrels more common in higher-level wines, though used larger barrels are more likely to be employed than new barriques, and wines will spend a shorter time in them than in the Côte d’Or.
Rully is in a northern commune of the Côte Chalonnaise sub-region of Burgundy. Red wines are made from Pinot Noir, while the white wines are produced exclusively from Chardonnay and are often fermented or matured in oak barrels.
Because it lacks the prestige of the communes just to the north around Beaune and Nuits, Rully’s best vintages provide relatively inexpensive access to some high-quality Burgundy wines. In addition, some of the best examples of Crémant de Bourgogne come from Rully, giving the appellation something of a reputation as an all-rounder.
On the nose was a wonderful blend of citrus, apple, and flint. And those aromas carried over to the tongue, with minerality and sharp citrus and apple flavors making this wine so pronounced. It was a fantastic pairing with the chicken on this evening’s menu. The price of Chablis can make one wince a little at first. But this was well worth the extra money.
Next week, it’s off to Myron Mixon’s BBQ Cooking School. Stay tuned for updates and a recap of that experience!
Cheers!