Poulet grillé aux herbes

Grilled chicken with rosemary and thyme

This recipe is simplicity itself. The chicken is marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper, then grilled on the barbecue or in the oven. The marinating time is up to you. I usually aim for an hour, but even 10 minutes will suffice if you’re in a hurry, or you can let it marinate all day in the fridge.

For best results, buy free range or organic chicken — either legs (thigh and drumstick) or, if using a whole chicken, have the butcher cut it into 6-8 pieces. The other key element is the herbs, with fresh rosemary and thyme far superior to the dried variety in this recipe.

The quantities below will serve 4 people.

4 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick) or 1 chicken cut into 6-8 pieces
1 large lemon or 2 smaller lemons
4-5 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 branch fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary
several sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper

Check the chicken. Remove and discard any extra fat. Set aside.

Squeeze the lemon into a large, flat dish. Stir in the olive oil — add enough for the marinade to emulsify.

Peel and finely mince the garlic. Add to the dish. Strip the leaves off the rosemary and thyme and add, or add the dried herbs. Add the salt and grind a good dose of black pepper over the dish. Stir to blend.

Add the chicken to the dish, turning it over several times to coat well with the marinade. Allow to marinate for an hour or so.

While the chicken is marinating, fire up the barbecue or preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F, gas mark 6). If cooking the chicken in the oven, oil a baking dish.

Set the chicken over the hot coals, or place in the baking dish, and cook for 20 minutes. Turn it over, being careful not to pierce the skin. If cooking in the oven, baste it. Cook for another 10 minutes and turn over again. Cook for 10 minutes more.

Test the chicken for doneness by inserting a fork into a thigh. If the juice is clear, the chicken is done. If the juice is pink, cook for 5-10 minutes more.

Serve piping hot, accompanied by the veggies or salad of your choice. Serves 4.

If cooking on the barbecue, here’s the Wisconsin method for keeping the flames from flaring up: Have a large glass of water standing by. If the coals start to flame, dip your fingers into the water and spritz the coals. Works brilliantly every time.