Juicy Grilled Chicken with Chimichurri

Name: Juicy Grilled Chicken with Chimichurri
Ingredients: Chicken; 2.2 kg bone-in, skin on chicken pieces; salt and pepper; 1 teaspoon paprika; ¼ teaspoon cayenne; Vegtables; olive oil; peppers, onions, carrots, scallions and tomatoes; Homemade Chimichurri Sauce; olive oil; parsley; red pepper flakes; garlic cloves; red onion

There is something about fresh vegetables that remind me of hot summer days. The colours that start to perk up at the local market as the days get a little longer and the sun shine starts to stick around longer. The farm fresh selection fills me with anticipation. With a basket full of ripe tomatoes, big peppers, perfect artichokes and some local chicken, I head home ready to whip up a dinner fit for even the best of summer days.

As I am chopping the vegetables and preparing them for the fire, the idea of a chimichurri comes to mind. Quickly, I finish arranging the vegetables for prep, season the chicken to go, and rummage through my herbs to see if I can pull off this quick and easy sauce.

Toss the chicken, skin side down, on the now heated coals and let it cook for a while since it will take longer and I want that dark meat to be perfect. When the chicken is ready to rest, I pull it off the grill and wrap it in foil, letting it mingle for a few minutes more so that the flavours will be perfect for that first bite.

For presentation, I pile everything high onto a single serving platter and take my brush and chimichurri and slather a healthy portion over everything so that every drop seeps down to another layer finding another bite to cling to.

Ingredients

Chicken

2.2 kg bone-in, skin on chicken pieces
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne

Vegtables

olive oil
peppers, onions, carrots, scallions and tomatoes

Homemade Chimichurri Sauce

olive oil
parsley
red pepper flakes
garlic cloves
red onion

Preparation

Arrange charcoal briquettes in the tray and preheat the gas to coal grill. Clean and oil your grates.
Pat the chicken dry and season liberally with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne rubbing under the skin and all over the chicken.
Grill the chicken over indirect heat for 40 to 50 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 70°C. Remove from grill and cover for 5 minutes before serving.
During the last 15 minutes, toss the veggies with olive oil and roll around on the grill allowing them to char and cook. Remove and set aside.
Make the chimichurri. Pulse the olive oil, parsley, red pepper flakes, garlic cloves, and red onion in a food processor until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
When the chicken and veggies are ready to serve, spoon the fresh chimichurri over top for presentation, leaving a dish with spoon on the table for guests to add more chimichurri if desired.