Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

Perhaps you've gotten a shiny new grill that has a rotisserie attachment. Don't be shy; use it. The rotisserie is one of the easiest ways to grill, and it results in awesome flavors. And one of the easiest foods to use to get you acquainted with the rotisserie is a whole chicken.

Years ago grocery stores scored a coup with rotisserie chicken. You can hardly walk into any grocery without first getting a whiff of them and then seeing the golden brown beauties on the spit.

They sure are delicious. Why? It's because of the rotisserie cooking, which allows even cooking and continuous basting to keep the bird moist. The other bonus is that much of the fat drips away.

The rotisserie is ideal for large cuts of meat and poultry such as whole chickens, small turkeys or turkey breasts, beef brisket or sirloins, pork butt or shoulder and even large slabs of ribs.

If your grill didn't come with a rotisserie attachment, you can buy one if the grill lid allows for it.

It's best to rotisserie food using indirect grilling - meaning the food should not be directly over the heat source. If you have a three-burner grill, turn on all the burners to preheat the grill and then shut off the center one. If your grill is a two-burner, turn off one side.

You'll need to truss the bird with kitchen string to hold the wings and legs close to the body before putting it on the spit. This prevents the legs and wings from flapping around while the bird is turning.

Use 3 to 4 feet of kitchen string (ask your butcher for it) to truss the bird.

Place the chicken, breast side up, on a work surface and slide the string under the back at the legs and bring it up and around the legs. Wrap the string under the legs, drawing it to bring the legs together. Bring the twine up along the sides, securing the thigh and wings (you can snip off the wings tips if desired) and tie the end in a double-knot at the neck.

Position the meat or poultry in the center of the long spit and secure it with the rotisserie prongs.

Rotisserie chickens are good just on their own or you can season them before or while they are cooking. If using a glaze or sauce, it's best to brush it on 30 to 40 minutes before it's done. If you put it on immediately and the sauce contains sugar, there's a good chance it will burn.

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ROTISSERIE BUTTERMILK CHICKEN WITH APRICOT GLAZE

Serves: 4 (generously) / Preparation time: 25 minutes (plus marinating time) Total time: 2 hours

Have ready kitchen string, disposable foil pan and an instant-read thermometer.

CHICKEN

1 whole chicken, 4 1/2 to 5 pounds

MARINADE

2 cups low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh rosemary leaves

4 large garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

GLAZE

1 cup apricot preserves or nectar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Trim any excess fat flaps from the chicken. Tuck the wings under the back and truss the chicken using kitchen string (see related story). Place the chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag. Whisk together all the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Press the air out of the bag and seal. Turn the bag several times to coat the chicken evenly; place in a large bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours, turning the bag once or twice.

Let the chicken stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking at about 400 degrees with the outside burners on medium to high and the middle burners turned off.

In a small saucepan whisk together all the glaze ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 cup. Reserve half of the glaze to use as a sauce.

Remove the chicken from the bag, letting most of the marinade drip off, and discard the marinade. Follow the grill's instructions for securing the chicken in the middle of a rotisserie spit and using the rotisserie. Place a large disposable foil pan under the chicken to catch drippings and pour about 1 cup of warm water or chicken broth into the pan.

Grill the chicken over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone), about 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

During the last 30 minutes of grilling, brush the chicken with the glaze a few times.

When the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the rotisserie motor and carefully remove the spit from the grill. Tilt the chicken upright over the disposable foil pan so that the liquid that has accumulated in the chicken's cavity pours into the pan. Slide the chicken from the spit onto a cutting board. Let rest for about 10 minutes before carving into serving pieces. Serve warm with the reserved sauce.

Adapted from "Weber's Way To Grill" by Jamie Purviance (Sunset, $24.95).

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis without skin.

529.50 calories (27 percent from fat), 16 grams fat (4 grams sat. fat), 32 grams carbohydrates, 66 grams protein, 337 mg sodium, 192 mg cholesterol, 53 mg calcium, 0 grams fiber.

Tags: Basting, Beef Brisket, Brown Beauties, Chicken Breast, Cuts Of Meat, Double Knot, Flavors, Heat Source, Long Spit, Meat And Poultry, Neck Position, Pork Butt, Rotisserie Chicken, Rotisserie Cooking, Slabs, Turkey Breasts, Twine, Whiff, Whole Chicken, Work Surface