Butterflied Chicken Dijon Grilled on a Bed of Thyme

A flattened chicken looks impressive, but looks aren’t the only benefit to butterflying. Since the flat shape allows for more even heat distribution during cooking, a butterflied chicken cooks faster and stays juicier than a whole chicken. 

• 1 3-1/2- to 4-lb. chicken (I prefer organic)
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 scallions (both white and green parts), thinly sliced
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. dried herbes de Provence
• 1/4 tsp. paprika, preferably smoked sweet Spanish (pimentón)
• Kosher salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
• 4 bunches (about 2 oz. total) fresh thyme, soaked in water for at least 30 min.

Snip

Place the chicken, breast side down, on a flat surface. Using poultry shears, cut along each side of the backbone and remove it. Flilp the chicken over and press firmly on the center of the breast to break the breastbone. You can see a video of this technique, called butterflying, here.

Build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill with all burners on high. For a charcoal grill, when the charcoal is covered with a whitegray ash, divide it into two piles and set a drip pan between the coals. For a gas grill, turn the burners that will be directly underneath the chicken off and the other burners to medium. (If your grill has only two burners, turn one off and set the other one at medium. You may need to rotate the chicken periodically so that both sides brown.)

In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, scallions, butter, herbes de Provence, paprika, and a large pinch of kosher salt; mix until smooth.

Brush the chicken all over with oil and season lightly on both sides with 1 tsp. kosher salt. Run one or two fingers between the skin and flesh of the breasts, drumsticks, and thighs. Take care not to tear the skin. Once the skin is loose, dip your hand in the mustard mixture and put a dollop under the skin. Smooth the skin to evenly distribute the mustard mixture. Repeat until you’ve used up the mixture and it’s evenly distributed. Rub the mixture that remains on your hands evenly over the outside of the chicken. Remove any scallion pieces and put them back under the skin. Tuck the wingtips under the breast and refrigerate the chicken until ready to grill (or up to 4 hours ahead).

Just before cooking, remove the thyme from the water. Lay the bunches of wet thyme in one layer on the center (or not directly over the heat) of the grill grate to form a bed. Put the chicken, skin side up, on top of the thyme, cover, and cook until a thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 165º to 170ºF, 30 to 35 min. Brush the chicken all over with a thin coating of olive oil, cover the grill, and continue cooking until a thermometer in the thigh reads 175º to 180ºF, another 10 to 15 min.

Remove the chicken from the grill and discard the thyme. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting it into quarters and serving.

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Green-Olive Relish

This is the perfect fix for those nights when you want a deeply flavorful chicken breast, but don't have the luxury of time for a rub or marinade. This relish, with its combination of olives, almonds, capers, lemon zest, and herbs is so good, you'll skip the marinade more often.  

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• About 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb. whole green olives (about 1-1/2 cups), such as Lucques or Picholine, rinsed, pitted, and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 Tbs. capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2-1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 small clove garlic, pounded to a paste with a pinch of salt

Prepare a hot grill fire.

Put one chicken breast on one side of a large piece of plastic wrap. Drizzle about 1 tsp. oil on the breast and loosely fold half of the plastic wrap over the chicken. (There should be enough room to allow the chicken to expand when you pound it.) Using a meat mallet or a heavy sauté pan, pound the chicken so that it’s about 1/2 inch thick. Discard the plastic wrap and repeat the process with the remaining breasts. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and coat with 2 Tbs. of the oil. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the olives, almonds, capers, parsley, lemon zest, thyme, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the oil.

Lay the chicken on the grill and cook, undisturbed, until it has grill marks, 2 to 3 min. Flip the chicken and continue to grill until it’s cooked through, about 2 to 3 min. more. Transfer to a clean cutting board. Let rest for 2 to 3 min. Holding your knife at an angle, cut the chicken into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange them on a platter or on four dinner plates. Spoon the relish on top or to the side of the chicken and serve immediately.

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Green-Olive Relish

This is the perfect fix for those nights when you want a deeply flavorful chicken breast, but don't have the luxury of time for a rub or marinade. This relish, with its combination of olives, almonds, capers, lemon zest, and herbs is so good, you'll skip the marinade more often.  

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• About 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb. whole green olives (about 1-1/2 cups), such as Lucques or Picholine, rinsed, pitted, and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 Tbs. capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2-1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 small clove garlic, pounded to a paste with a pinch of salt

Prepare a hot grill fire.

Put one chicken breast on one side of a large piece of plastic wrap. Drizzle about 1 tsp. oil on the breast and loosely fold half of the plastic wrap over the chicken. (There should be enough room to allow the chicken to expand when you pound it.) Using a meat mallet or a heavy sauté pan, pound the chicken so that it’s about 1/2 inch thick. Discard the plastic wrap and repeat the process with the remaining breasts. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and coat with 2 Tbs. of the oil. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the olives, almonds, capers, parsley, lemon zest, thyme, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the oil.

Lay the chicken on the grill and cook, undisturbed, until it has grill marks, 2 to 3 min. Flip the chicken and continue to grill until it’s cooked through, about 2 to 3 min. more. Transfer to a clean cutting board. Let rest for 2 to 3 min. Holding your knife at an angle, cut the chicken into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange them on a platter or on four dinner plates. Spoon the relish on top or to the side of the chicken and serve immediately.

Tandoori Chicken Legs

These legs get a triple blast of flavor: first from a soak in lemon juice and salt, then from a pungent marinade of spices and yogurt (which also tenderizes the meat), and finally from a bit of butter brushed on at the end of cooking. Removing the skin from your chicken legs before grilling may seem like awaste of potentially crisp deliciousness, but it helps the marinade penetrate the meat more easily, as does making deep slashes in the meat before marinating.

For the chicken:

• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• Kosher or sea salt
• 6 whole chicken legs (2 to 3 lb.)
• Vegetable oil for the grill

For the marinade:

• 1 Tbs. finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Kosher or sea salt
• 1/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 3/4 tsp. hot dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For finishing:

• 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium lime, cut into wedges

Prepare the chicken:

Combine the lemon juice and 1 tsp. salt in a large zip-top plastic bag and massage the bag until the salt crystals dissolve.

Pull the skin off the chicken legs. Using a sharp knife, make 2 or 3 deep slashes in each leg, almost to the bone. Toss the chicken legs in the lemon juice, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Marinate the chicken:

Mash the ginger, garlic, and 1 tsp. salt to a paste with the side of a large knife and transfer the paste to a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the remaining marinade ingredients. Add the marinade to the chicken legs and massage the bag to thoroughly coat the legs. Seal the bag and refrigerate the chicken for at least 4 hours but preferably 12 to 24 hours.

Grill the chicken:

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill fire for indirect grilling over medium-high heat (400°F).

If using a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side. Put a 9x13-inch foil drip pan on the grate next to the coals and fill it halfway with water. Replace the grill grate.

If using a gas grill, put a 9x13-inch foil drip pan on the inactive burners and fill it halfway with water. Replace the grill grate.

Clean the grate with a wire brush and, using tongs, wipe the grate with a paper towel or cloth dipped in oil.

Arrange the legs over the drip pan and away from the heat. Grill, flipping once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 170°F, 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and brush each leg with the melted butter. Garnish with the cilantro leaves, onion slices, and lime wedges and serve.