Tipsy Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Maple Glaze
For the glaze:
1/3 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon country-style mustard
1 roaster chicken, 6 to 7 pounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
To make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients. Set aside.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. With poultry shears or knife, split chicken lengthwise along one side of backbone. With breast side up, pull up on two sides of back and press down firmly on breast until bones begin to crack and chicken is reasonably flat. Thread two sturdy metal skewers crosswise through flattened chicken; skewers should run perpendicular to thigh bones, through the breasts, and through the middle of the large wing joints.
Combine oil, garlic, salt, and pepper; brush evenly on both sides of chicken. Place chicken, skin side up, in center of cooking grate. Grill 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until meat thermometer inserted into center of thigh meat (but not touching bone) reaches 180°F/82°C (170°F/77°C for breast) or until juices run clear and skin is well-browned, brushing occasionally with glaze during last 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before carving.
