Another Rotisserie Chicken
Ditalini was going to the store this morning, so I asked her to pick up a chicken. She came home with a free range organic fryer that cost three times as much as the typical factory chicken, but we felt better about eating it — can you tell we watched Food, Inc. the other night?
All along I was thinking rotisserie chicken, because the last one we tried was so darn good. So as soon as Ditalini left, I prepared a pot of brine and made a small batch of rub.
The recipe is already in the index, but I wanted to try a different rub this time. That rub is included as an option in the linked recipe, and you’ll notice it calls for ground espresso. Since I didn’t have any of that, I made it from equal parts of ground French Roast coffee and cayenne pepper, half parts of paprika and sugar, and a little salt and pepper. After taking the chicken out of the brine, rinsing it, and patting it dry, I rubbed it thoroughly inside and out.
![11-14-09_4a Crouton & Mortadella in their nest](http://pwoodford.net/cookblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/11-14-09_4a.jpg)
It was a chilly evening, so as soon as I got the rotisserie going I built a fire. And then one thing led to another and before long I’d built an entire nest. I spent the next hour and a half sitting between the warm grill and the hot fire, reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Mortadella loved being part of the action.
![11-14-09_3a Rotisserie chicken at rest](http://pwoodford.net/cookblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/11-14-09_3a.jpg)
And here’s our high dollar free range organic rotisserie chicken, resting before being carved up and devoured. Brining it before cooking really makes a difference — it cooks up moist and flavorful, nothing at all like those roasted chickens you pick up at Safeway. And the coffee-based rub? I’m so glad I tried it — it gives the chicken a rich, savory flavor — and there’s enough left over to rub another chicken soon.