Whole Chicken

I have had a whole chicken in the freezer since I worked at the Valleydale Farmers Market last summer. I defrosted the chicken and discovered that it was already cut into pieces. However, I wanted to experiment with injectable marinades so I decided to attempt to inject the marinade into the various pieces.

In the marinade I used:

3 Tablespoons of butter

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

1 Tablespoon of black pepper

1 Tablespoon of onion powder

pinch or two of salt

I injected the chicken about thirty minutes prior to placing it on the grill. I cooked it loosely wrapped in foil for about an hour on indirect medium heat. After an hour I moved it to the hot coals for the remaining thirty minutes. At this point I put the wings and legs on the grill.

The marinade was very good but did seem to be missing something. Next time I cook a whole chicken I will probably add something to the marinade. Any suggestions?

Grilled Turkey

This afternoon I finally prepared the turkey. I decided to use an injectable marinade but did not have a syringe. My veterinarian offered to supply one but I never made it by his office. Since this was my first attempt in using an injectable marinade, I used a store-bought product along with instructions.

Following the directions on the bag, I cooked the 9 pound turkey for about three hours. I covered the bird in foil and put it in a roasting pan that I bought specifically for using on the grill. I cooked mostly on indirect heat but moved it to direct for the last twenty minutes. I also used some smoke chips and they produced some great smoke for half an hour.

Once the turkey reached an internal temperature of 165 I removed the foil cover and took it off the grill. I did a good job of keeping the lid closed. From the time I put the bird on the grill I only opened the grill four times. Twice to add more charcoal (and rotate the bird) and twice to check the temperature of the bird. Before cooking, I did have to remove the top rack from my grill in order for the turkey to fit. I hope to reinstall it tonight when the grill cools.

I carved the bird and you can see the great lines of marinade in the turkey. The flavor of the injectable marinade was "Creole Butter." I also used a small amount of Cajun seasoning on the skin of the turkey. The bird was moist and quite delicious. After this I may be drafted to cook the Thanksgiving turkey!

My two year old daughter had no objections! The rest of us were also pleased with the bird. I am excited about future attempts and making my own marinade.