Smoked BBQ Chicken and Grilled Mozzarella-Stuffed Balsamic Portobello Mushrooms (GREAT)

SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2008

*** Smoked BBQ Chicken and Grilled Mozzarella-Stuffed Balsamic Portobello Mushrooms (GREAT) ***

CHICKEN: Had company over so I smoked a few whole chickens on the charcoal smoker with a mixture of apple and pecan wood. The smaller two chickens were done in about four hours, and the larger chicken took about 20 minutes longer. All three were moist and had a good smoky flavor that wasn't too overpowering. Two chickens sat on the bottom rack on the far side of the smoker, while the third sat above them on the upper rack. NOTE FOR THE FUTURE: The upper rack definitely cooks quicker than the bottom, so rotate the meat accordingly.

I also made a paste of minced garlic, lemon zest, salt, lemon pepper, and fresh thyme and rubbed it under the skin of each chicken, as well as a couple lemon slices. In addition, I sprinkled the skin with some more lemon pepper and paprika to give it nice colorful crust. As a result, all three chickens looked great. Whole chickens work great on the smoker and don't take nearly as long as big cuts of pork, so they work great for company. Leftovers make a great smoky soup or chili, and if you're in to making your own chicken stock, the smoky bones/carcass make an awesome stock.

SAUCE: Made two sauces ... a Spicy Ancho-Chipotle BBQ Sauce and a Worcestershire-based sauce called Black Sauce. Both are awesome and have a million applications.

Spicy Ancho-Chipotle BBQ Sauce

1/4 cup granulated sugar (or less ... depends on how sweet you like it)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili peppers packed in adobo sauce, chopped/minced

Mix everything in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce head to medium-low and simmer 12-15 minutes until sauce thickens.

Black Sauce

1 c. Worcestershire
1 c. white vinegar
2 TB brown sugar
2 TB lime juice
1 TB plus 1 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp allspice
lemon zest (optional)

Mix together and heat over medium heat for 10 minutes.

MUSHROOMS: The portobello mushrooms is an appetizer that I often breakout for company, and it's always loved by everybody. Here's the original recipe I used from Epicurious. I also like to add fresh basil to the mixture, it gives it a nice depth. In the future, I would also use a bottled balsamic glaze (or boil down your own) to drizzle over the top.