As my kids get older, summer feels less and less carefree. All my boys are working or participating in some activity or another, and evenings spent as a family seem to be fewer and farther between. So when we do have time together, I want to relax and enjoy each other's company.
Being stuck in the kitchen isn't high on my list either, which is why I love to grill as much as possible while the weather is fine. Grilling just feels more social, as everyone sits around the patio table and chats while dinner is on the barbecue. I know we could do the same thing inside, but somehow outside feels different.
Since we're out on the deck anyway, I try to grill enough food to use for at least a few meals during the week. A whole chicken (or two!) on the grill on a Sunday is easy to transform into salads, sandwiches, even pasta on Monday or Tuesday or, well, you get the idea.
Grilling a whole chicken is a thing of beauty, literally. The grill gives the chicken an evenly dark brown appearance that's hard to get on an oven roasted bird. It's an impressive protein to present at the dinner table. It's also easier to avoid the chalky, stringy texture that boneless, skinless breasts often get, as they're so susceptible to overcooking. Whole birds tend to stay moist. And most important, you don't have to continually expose your arms to the searing heat of the grill as you turn individual pieces of chicken.
This week's evening by the grill featured a cumin and coriander spice-rubbed butterflied chicken. To butterfly a whole chicken means to remove the chicken's backbone so you can open the chicken like a book, or a butterfly, and lay it flat, which helps it cook quickly and evenly. I often use this on the grill or in the oven.
Although you can certainly use pre-ground coriander and cumin, I recommend you buy the spices whole, toast them in a dry skillet just until they are fragrant and grind them in a spice grinder. The aroma is incredible and the flavor is far more interesting than pre-ground, which loses its potency quickly.
I served the chicken with a cilantro and mint pesto. The nice thing about this pesto is that it also packs a flavor punch, so you don't need to serve much of it to make an impact. That means you'll likely have leftover pesto to go along with your chicken. Toss a tablespoon or two into your favorite vinaigrette, sandwich spread (read mayo) or pasta sauce. It's a game changer.
Of course, you don't have to roast your own spices or make your own pesto to toss a chicken on the grill. In the end, the chicken is more of an excuse to gather your kids around a table on a beautiful summer evening. If you also get a delicious meal out it, all the better.
