Grilled Chicken with Rosemary, Garlic & Thyme

What’s for dinner tonight? How about the classic flavors of grilled chicken marinated in white wine with rosemary, thyme, and garlic? With a nod to the lighter side of French cuisine, this easy favorite will quickly become a favourite for everything from dining al fresco with friends to summer dinners with the family.

Tip: Toss the chicken in the marinade in the morning so by dinnertime you can quickly fire up your gas barbecue and be grilling in no time!

Ingredients

Marinade

• • 250 ml (1 C) dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, or Sauvignon Blanc)

• • 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

• • 1 TBS finely chopped fresh rosemary

• • 1 TBS Dijon mustard

• • 4 cloves minced garlic

• • 1 tsp dried thyme

• • 1 tsp kosher salt

• • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Tip: The marinade will be boiled for reuse as a basting sauce during grilling. If preferred, whip up a second batch of the marinade ingredients to set aside to use fresh for the baste instead. Just be sure to let it sit for 4 – 12 hours to let the flavors blend.

Chicken and Basting Sauce

• • 1 whole chicken (1.8 – 2.2 kg / 4-5 lbs), cut into 6 pieces

• • 1 TBS unsalted butter

Instructions

1. 1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a large plastic grip seal bag. Put the cut chicken pieces into the bag, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Flip the bag around a few times to ensure the chicken is well coated with the marinade. Set the bag in a bowl and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 4 – 12 hours.
   2. Fire up your gas BBQ for cooking on medium heat (180° – 230° C) using both direct and indirect heat.
   3. When you remove the chicken from the marinade, save the marinade to use in the basting sauce (you will boil it so it is safe to reuse).
   4. Place the chicken on your BBQ with the meatiest side on the grill and cook over indirect medium heat for 30 minutes with the BBQ lid closed.
   5. To make the basting sauce while the chicken cooks, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and then simmer briskly for about 4 – 6 minutes. Once the sauce has reduced by about 50%, whisk in the butter with the pan removed from the heat source.
   6. Brush the chicken with the basting sauce and move it to the direct heat side of your gas BBQ to finish cooking. Depending on the size of each chicken piece, it will take about 5 – 15 minutes of additional cooking, with occasional flipping.
   7. The chicken is done when the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 74° C with an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat. Note that breasts and wings will be finished cooking first.
   8. As the chicken pieces finish cooking, move them back to the indirect heat side of the gas BBQ for a final basting before removing them from the grill.
   9. Enjoy!