Smoked Chicken & Grilled Corn Wraps with a Pea, Mint & Jalapeño Dressing
One of our favourite things to grill is a whole chicken and spatchcocking is the easiest way to achieve an even cook. We nibble on the wings while cooking and use any leftovers for tasty lunches. In this recipe we used beech wood to not overpower the delicate meat.
Ingredients
1 medium chicken
50g butter
Flaked sea salt
4 sprigs of thyme
2 small handfuls of wood chips
150g frozen petit pois
2 whole green jalapeños, stalk removed & roughly chopped
Juice ½ lime
12 mint leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
2 corn on the cob
Greek yoghurt
Robust lettuce leaves
Red pepper flakes
Method
1. Set up the grill for two zone cooking. Using poultry scissors remove the backbone from the chicken and press flat.
2. Separate the thyme leaves from the stalk and mix with the butter and sea salt.
3. Position the chicken, breast side up with legs closest to the coals. Add a handful of the smoking wood of your choice to the coals and close the lid. The wood may catch fire so make sure the chicken is not directly over the coals. Repeat this process once the smoke has dissipated.
4. Blend the peas, jalapeño, lime juice, mint, oil and a pinch of salt. You can remove the jalapeño seeds, if you prefer, but we keep them in for a mild kick.
5. Blanch the corn in boiling water for 5 minutes so it remains juicy when grilling.
6. Turn the chicken every 5–10 minutes and begin to baste in the thyme butter. You can cook the chicken for short periods over direct heat to get some colour but ensure the air vents are mostly closed to avoid flare ups. For most of the cooking time the legs should be closest to the coals. When the chicken breast reaches 65°C, remove and set aside to rest. You may want to remove a few degrees before to allow for carryover cooking if it’s a particularly chunky bird. The thighs are better after 75°C and can be easily separated using a knife if they require a bit more cooking when the breast is ready.
7. As the chicken is resting, grill the corn over direct heat until charred then slice the kernels off in sections.
8. Lay out the lettuce leaves on a serving platter and add a spoon of yoghurt. Top with some of the pulled or chopped smoked chicken, followed by the pea, mint and jalapeño dip. Add the corn and sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes.
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Method
1. Set up the grill for two zone cooking. Using poultry scissors remove the backbone from the chicken and press flat.
2. Separate the thyme leaves from the stalk and mix with the butter and sea salt.
3. Position the chicken, breast side up with legs closest to the coals. Add a handful of the smoking wood of your choice to the coals and close the lid. The wood may catch fire so make sure the chicken is not directly over the coals. Repeat this process once the smoke has dissipated.
4. Blend the peas, jalapeño, lime juice, mint, oil and a pinch of salt. You can remove the jalapeño seeds, if you prefer, but we keep them in for a mild kick.
5. Blanch the corn in boiling water for 5 minutes so it remains juicy when grilling.
6. Turn the chicken every 5–10 minutes and begin to baste in the thyme butter. You can cook the chicken for short periods over direct heat to get some colour but ensure the air vents are mostly closed to avoid flare ups. For most of the cooking time the legs should be closest to the coals. When the chicken breast reaches 65°C, remove and set aside to rest. You may want to remove a few degrees before to allow for carryover cooking if it’s a particularly chunky bird. The thighs are better after 75°C and can be easily separated using a knife if they require a bit more cooking when the breast is ready.
7. As the chicken is resting, grill the corn over direct heat until charred then slice the kernels off in sections.
8. Lay out the lettuce leaves on a serving platter and add a spoon of yoghurt. Top with some of the pulled or chopped smoked chicken, followed by the pea, mint and jalapeño dip. Add the corn and sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes.
