PEACH-GLAZED GRILLED CHICKEN
Makes 4 servings
From “Master of the Grill” by America's Test Kitchen. Note: Leave the jalapeno whole for grilling. Note that the salted chicken needs to rest for one to 24 hours before grilling. Because the preserves cause the food to brown quickly, move the items around as necessary to manage any hot spots. If you would like to use wood chunks instead of wood chips when using a charcoal grill, substitute one medium wood chunk, soaked in water for 1 hour, for the wood-chip packet.
3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks and thighs), trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 cup wood chips
1 cup peach preserves
teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 (13-by 9-inch) disposable
aluminum pan
1 peach, halved and pitted 1 jalapeno chile
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 2¼ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place in 1-gallon Peach-glazed grilled chicken
zipper-top bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain. Using a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in 8-by-4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet. Whisk preserves and cayenne together in disposable pan. Place peach halves (cut side up), jalapeno and chicken (skin side down) in pan.
• For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Place wood-chip packet on coals on one side of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.
• For a gas grill: Remove cooking grate and place woodchip packet directly on primary burner. Set grate in place, turn all burners to high, cover and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium. (Adjust burners as needed to maintain grill temperature between 350 and 375 degrees.)
Clean and oil cooking grate. Place disposable pan with chicken over side of grill opposite wood-chip packet. Cover grill (position lid vent over chicken if using charcoal) and cook for 10 minutes. Flip chicken and rotate pan
180 degrees. (Open top and bottom vents fully for charcoal grill.) Cook, covered, until breasts register 155 degrees and drumsticks and thighs register 170 degrees, 10 to 14 minutes.
Flip chicken, peach halves and jalapeno to coat with preserves, then transfer to grill grate (skin side down for chicken). Leave pan on grill to let preserves thicken and caramelize slightly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes, then remove pan from grill.
Meanwhile, cook chicken, peach halves and jalapeno until well-browned on first side,
2 to 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until chicken breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks and thighs register 175 degrees and peach halves and jalapeno are wellbrowned on second side, 2 to 5 minutes. Return chicken, skin side up, to pan with preserves, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Transfer peach and jalapeno to plate.
Remove any loose skin from peach halves and jalapeno (no need to remove all skin); then chop peach halves, seed and mince jalapeno and transfer both to bowl. Arrange chicken on serving platter. Pour preserves from pan into bowl with chopped peach halves and jalapeno; stir in vinegar. Season glaze with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon glaze over chicken and serve.
PER SERVING: 488 calories, 41 g protein, 56 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 51 g sugar, 11 g fat (3 g saturated), 167 mg cholesterol, 430 mg sodium