I’m swamped – family visits: 2 sisters, 3 kids. Fun but swamped.
I’m writing in a hurry……knowing well my attention will be needed soon, and closing my ears to the deafening noise of 6 children!
But this post is not a moan about how tired I am, its all about Cupboard love. I’m on mission to use up the contents of my food stores!
Thanks to NMD, I have one less ‘ expired’ jar of something. Oh yes, my blackcurrant mustard read ‘Best before June 2010’ but it didn’t say ‘No good after June 2010’ so I used it (after smelling it and gun sighting it…..it looked good).
So, knowing very well how to make easy BBQ chicken, I opened up mine by splitting across the breast – not your traditional ‘spatchcock’ where the back bone and breast bone/cartilage are removed.
I immersed it in an overnight marinade of mustard, maple syrup, refrigerator-dried rosemary (new recipe, read on) and fresh thyme.
The next day, chicken blazing on the grill and almost ready to eat, I realised I should have opened up the legs and wings as I wrestled them open to cook….most of the other parts were ready!
I also wanted to try ‘brick’ chicken
Using bricks we have stashed at the back. Not from this wall mind you…. I love this photo. Do you? Don’t you?
Eventually, everything cooked superbly well (supported by foil-wrapped bricks), with only a few burnt bits, promptly dispensed with at the table. I made sure that when I flipped the chicken over, I flipped the bricks too.
Husband proclaimed it delicious, he could taste the marinade. I liked the taste of the mustard which was present but subdued, enhanced by the smokiness of the fire.
Daughters ate well, with the freshly boiled corn on the cob, one daughter hates boiled carrots and butter but had to eat them as I slowly explained to her that boiled carrots were more nutritious than raw, which she loves and that butter helped the carrots ‘work in her body’. I’ve promised her a raw green salad at the next meal.
The other daughter loves corn, and is so so with other veggies but she ate it all.
Son ate bits.
Recipe for fridge-dried rosemary
Buy some fresh rosemary
Forget it in the fridge for weeks
When you remember, it will be dried
Still fragrant and perfect for recipes such as this.
Cupboard & fridge love…..to the highest!
BTW, I tried to make my own mustard: disaster, it ended in the food bin. Back to the drawing board!
My family go back on Sunday….I’ll see if I can sneak something else in before then.
How are you? Enjoying the last of the summer wine.
Oh, the grand draw of the food52/wholefoods summer contest is on – vote for me if you can! Thank you.
Lots of ♥.[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Cupboard Love: Barbecued Mustard Chicken – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
This is what I call delicious chicken. Thanks for the great photos.
Yes, I love the photo. But, I love the photo of the chicken more – and the idea of pressing it with the bricks to get that crispy grilled chicken flavour is a great reminder for me to do it NOW. The chicken looks like a really good one, and the final result is outstanding! I wish we were neighbours!
🙂
Valerie
Love this recipe! Sounds so flavorful.
Oh I love bbq’d anything seriously although I’m too lazy to pull out the grill myself:-)
Thanks for all your comments. I love that I don’t have a patent on ‘fridge-dried herbs’.:-)
Hi! I saw you’re a finalist on Food52. To think I knew you when :).
Yes Jen, how life changes. Now for the big time 🙂
Oh dear Ozoz, I LOVE your dried rosemary recipe. 🙂 You make me laugh!! And I love love love your fire pictures. They make me happy. 🙂
Wow, just right for this season and thanks for the BBQ tips 🙂
Thats a great use of a brick I reckon 🙂 – chicken looks delicious…. really looking forward to summer BBQ’s.
Love the brick photo 🙂 Cheers to family and firing up the bbq. Your chicken recipe rocks.
Oh my goodness that looks so good! I wish that my London life included a BBQ!
GT, apologies. If London weren’t so space constrained.
I have a brick in my apartment but no grill. I used it on top of stove on my old grilling pan. Great post and your chicken loks finger liking good!
Brick chicken, eh? What I’m more interested in is – what is blackcurrant mustard?
Blackcurrant mustard is a mix of Dijon mustard and blackcurrant puree/syrup. It is quite fruity and has a mild mustard flavour, perfect for sandwiches, marinades and salad dressings.
A fine looking fire and even better looking chicken!
I have stumbled across this method for drying rosemary before. Works a treat 😉
Cool, I’m defintiely trying brick chicken when summer rolls round. Have fun with the family 🙂
Even though you are swamped…your post and food still are lovely! I’m glad you are able to spend this time with your family…it is so important!
must try this marinade! the chicken looks so gorgeous. wish I had some to try.
This chicken sounds excellent with mustard and maple marinade! I have refrigerator dried rosemary situation quite often so it’s a great recipe to use it 🙂
looks delicious wow 6 kids, fun but tiring enjoy
Your chicken looks so good! I need to clean out my pantry too!
I really need to grill a whole chicken like that! The problem is remembering to do the overnight thing prior. I have a huge rosemary bush that I like to use to stuff in the cavity when roasting a chicken. Love rosemary with chicken and the mustard sounds like a perfect touch! I usually do my pantry cooking after hurricane season here! 🙂
Lovely post! Your chicken looks delicious – hey, I’ve made fridge-dried rosemary before, just didn’t realise I was being clever..haha