Modified CS indoor smoked chicken

tshewman

First, let me say this made some of the best skin yet! The Chicken was absolutely delicious and also one of the best ever (and I've had a few). Served with smoked BBQ sauce with parsley, thyme and tarragon, Triple cooked chips, brussel sprouts and Chocolate ice cream for desert. Am I the only one that likes a touch of vanilla in their chocolate ice cream? :-)

The CS recipe was modified in a few minor ways:

1. Used a full roasted chicken approach (similar to seen on CS)

2. After removing the wishbone and injecting the brine, the chicken was blanched (see hestons perfect Chicken or MC's Combi chicken)

3. It sat in the fridge for 3 days.

4. It was cooked at 175F until 60C/140F.

5. Before the finish in the oven LN2 was poured over the skin of the chicken before going back in the oven at max temperature (glaze was also applied). In the pic below, if you squint, you might be able to see the LN2 produced smoke coming off the skin.

This was the most crisp skin I have ever had on a chicken. The chicken itself was absolutely delicious. As an aside, I also took a look at Grant's tip on the BBQ by using foil and wondered......what if I apply something similar to hte oven. Usually I use a roasting pan or tray, neither of which have the relective component that the foil does. Now, I can't objectively say that's why the bottom was also crisp , but there were no weak points in the skin. That has never happened. I stripped every bit of meat and skin for salads and.....well.....it will go with nothing at all. :-)

Give the recipe a shot! Thanks again CS!

tshewman

I've tried blanhing prior to brine, but subjectively (important) have never tasted a difference. Also with the brine prior to injection, presumably some of the brine would come out in the blanch water instead of onto (and sit) the skin of the bird if done after, thus potentially leaving it not as crisp (subjectively my experience-but might be doing something wrong). The LN2 was to get the skin more crisp analogous to that of the LN2 dipped burger or steak and for me, this worked amazingly well. The most crisp skin I have ever cooked (though perhaps a crispometer would help :-)..). I receive the same subjective reports from those who ate it as well. I chose to pour instead of dunk the chicken in the LN2 for 2 reasons, with the cavity, I was concerned of the immediate eposure to the meat from the inside. Admittedly, it would have been minimal....but...the other reason was more practical........That would have taken about 15L of LN2. :-)

I have to admit thought........my mind automatically jumps to Thanksgiving..........If I'm going to have to cook a turkey this year, I'm awful tempted to cook the whole thing in a similar way (or perhaps SV), dunck it it liquid nitrogen and then into the oil.....talk about an awsome deep fried bird! Of course, it would be only right to have our fellow firefighters standing by.........I wonder if I could turn that into a Kickstarter project. :-)