Tyler Florence Grilled Potato Salad & Ultimate Barbecued Chicken

I can join in Tyler Florence Fridays - finally!!


I went to Tyler Florence's website & blog this week and had a pleasant surprise. I had been there a couple months ago, and now I know it must have been under construction. There was nothing there, now- it's great! I found the chicken recipe under the main meal button, almost at bottom of the list.

Ultimate Barbecued Chicken

Ingredients
Brine:2 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a large knife
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 chicken legs and thighs, still connected, bone in skin on

The Ultimate Barbecue Sauce:
1 slice bacon
1 bunch fresh thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika if available
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven 375F. For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme. Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add your thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.

Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a non-stick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes.

Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 10 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Serve with extra sauce.


Grilled Potato Salad
I got an email this week to check out mycokerewards.com.
Tyler has teamed up with Coke this summer & had a couple good recipes on this website. Including this one:

10 medium Yukon gold potatoes
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 3 ribs of celery, finely chopped
• Ice water


Add potatoes, cream, milk, garlic, thyme and bay leaf into a large sauce pan and boil for 15
minutes; potatoes should be tender and the tip of a paring knife goes through with little resistance.
2. Allow to cool in the cream mixture. Once cooled, strain potatoes and lay out in a single layer on a kitchen towel to drain.
3. Cut the potatoes into large pieces, then brown on a hot grill with a little olive oil for 4-5 minutes until they get a little golden.
4. Place browned potatoes in a mixing bowl and gently smash with a potato masher or large metal spoon – you want to smash the potatoes so they are broken up but there is still a lot of texture.
5. Strain the cream mixture and add just enough to make the potato base creamy – (about 1 1/2 cups).
6. Add 1 large tablespoon of whole grain mustard, chopped celery and season with plenty of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

results: I used boneless breasts and skipped the second cooking in the oven. I grilled it, then coated it with the sauce and finished it off in the oven. This sauce was great! I have tried a couple BBQ recipes with no luck- never again, this one is a keeper!

The potatoes were also very good. Grilling them was a great idea, added a very nice flavor. I had 1 1/2 cup light cream then used the rest 1% milk, and that was fine. Still creamy.

Can't wait to fire up the grill again!!