Hot, mid-summer weather is apparently here to stay for awhile so we're in summer cooking mode as well. That means just about everything gets cooked outdoors.
Today that was what can best be described as Scarborough Fare Chicken, or perhaps Simon and Garfunkel Chicken. A handful of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme was chopped fine and then spread between the skin and the flesh of a brined chicken. The un-chopped herbs are above.
The whole thing went on the grill over indirect heat for about and hour an a half until it was perfectly cooked and perfumed with the herbs. For the last few minutes some slices of fresh fennel were grilled directly over the coals, basted with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Some of the basting liquid was also applied to the chicken during the last fifteen minutes of cooking time. When everything was removed from the grill we toasted some slices of rustic bread over the coals and rubbed them with a garlic clove and drizzled them with some olive oil.
The wine of the day was from Dry Creek Valley's Michel-Schlumberger, a 2010 Rose of Merlot, named Le Flirt. Great aromas of strawberries and raspberries. Beautiful dark pink color in the glass. Medium body with great acid and a bone dry finish. Great with the chicken and even better with the grilled slices of fennel. Good, inexpensive wine. Hopefully summer will taste this good every day.
$15 and 13.2% alcohol.
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