CHICKEN WITH WINE GRAPES AND PANZANELLA
- One 3½- to 4-pound chicken
- ½ lemon
- RUB
- 1 tablespoon sweet pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
- 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- PANZANELLA
- 12 ounces day-old Italian peasant bread, with crust, cut into ⅛-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
- 2 large tomatoes (about 1 pound), cut into ½-inch dice
- 2 kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1 medium red onion, cut lengthwise in half and then into ⅛-inch-thick slices
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 fresh basil leaves, torn
- 3 bunches wine grapes, such as Sangiovese
Instructions:
- PREPARE A GAS OR CHARCOAL GRILL for rotisserie cooking over indirect medium heat (or according to the instructions for your grill). Set up the drip pan under the center of the spit.
- Remove the excess fat from the chicken and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Rub the skin with the lemon half; reserve the lemon half. Mix all the rub ingredients together in a small bowl, and rub 2 teaspoons of the mixture inside the cavity of the chicken.
- Place what is left of the lemon half inside the cavity and truss the chicken. Brush the skin all over with the olive oil, then massage the remaining rub mixture into the bird.
- Place the chicken on the spit and secure it with the clamps (if possible, run the clamps through the thighs of the chicken—the clamps will conduct heat so the thighs will cook more quickly and there will be less chance of the breast overcooking). Attach the spit to the rotisserie mechanism, cover the grill, and cook the chicken until the skin is a deep golden brown and the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F, 1 to 1 ½ hours, depending on the heat of your grill.
- While the bird is cooking, make the panzanella: Combine the bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a large serving bowl. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over the salad, stirring or tossing to mix well. Season well with salt and pepper, tossing again. (The salad can be dressed up to 2 hours in advance and set aside at room temperature.) Just before serving, tear the basil leaves and scatter them over the salad, then toss again.
- When the chicken is cooked, transfer to a carving board or large platter and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Carve the chicken and arrange on a platter. Be sure to pour all the delicious juices over and around the chicken. Place the bunches of grapes around the chicken and serve with the panzanella.
- Sometimes we brine chickens before roasting them, but it’s unnecessary when spit-roasting, because the birds “self-baste” as they turn on the rotis-serie. It’s a great natural way of keeping in all the juices.