Grilled Smokey Chicken with Root Vegetables

Mesquite smoke chunks are the key ingredient to Jimmy's amazing smokey chicken grilled in the Green Egg.

First, brine the whole chicken fryer for a few hours in salt water, this keeps it moist and flavorful.

Then, put a roasting rack in the grill or if you have a can of soda or beer you can rest that bird right down on that can. Keep the fire hot and smokey for around an hour, hour and a half. The time it takes to cook really depends on a lot of factors - size of bird, heat of grill, temperament of griller, etc. Never under cook a chicken (chicken is done when the internal temperature registers 165°F in the breast area and 180°F in the thigh).

We had this with roasted parsnips and carrots, you could do any root vegetable and it would be equally delicious. I parboil them before giving them to Jimmy for the grill. He cooks them in a little bit of olive oil. They are delicious just off the grill, nothing added but a small amount of salt and pepper.

If you want to get fancy you can make a maple glaze with some maple syrup, garlic, fresh rosemary and a little salt and pepper. A few weeks ago we had a great dish from Epicurious.com with a similar recipe roasted in the oven called Roasted Winter Squash and Parsnips with Maple Syrup Glaze and Marcona Almonds -it was delicious!