Cider-Brined Grill-Roasted Chicken With Grilled Apples And Sage
This flavorful recipe brings out the best in a whole chicken, making it juicy and aromatic. The apple cider brine infuses the meat with a subtle sweetness, while grilling over wood chips adds a smoky depth of flavor. Served alongside seared apples tossed in fresh sage and butter, this dish is perfect for a delicious and memorable meal.
— Constant Cookbook
Ingredients
- 1 bottle (12 fl. oz.) hard apple cider
- 1/2 cup table salt
- 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. chopped fresh sage
- 2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp. peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 1/2 cups ice water
- 1 whole chicken, about 4 lb.
- 1 cup apple-wood or hickory chips
- Canola oil for grilling, plus 2 tsp.
- 2 Golden Delicious apples
- 1 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a small nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, combine the cider, table salt, the 2 Tbs. chopped sage, the rosemary, peppercorns and bay leaf and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour the brine mixture into a large, deep nonreactive bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in the ice water. Add the chicken, submerging it completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 6 hours.
- 
In a bowl, soak the wood chips in cold water to cover for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Drain the wood chips.

- Prepare a grill for indirect grilling over high heat. Sprinkle the drained wood chips over the coals or use a wood-chip smoker box on the gas grill. Replace the grill grate and lightly oil it. 

- Remove the chicken from the brine; discard the brine. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the cool side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 160°F, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. 

- Peel and core the apples and quarter each apple lengthwise. In a bowl, toss the apples with the 2 tsp. oil to coat. Place the apples on the hot side of the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until seared with grill marks on all sides and tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Add the 2 tsp. chopped sage and the butter to the apples and toss to coat. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
- 
Arrange the apples on the platter around the chicken. Carve the chicken and serve immediately. Serves 4.
- Adapted from Williams-Sonoma <i>New Flavors for Chicken</i>, by Rick Rodgers (Oxmoor House, 2008).
Yield
Serves 4.
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