Brick Chicken with Grilled Polenta and Scallion Bundles
These grilled small chickens or game hens are a treat with their crisp skin and Truffle Butter. They are simply accented with grilled wedges of polenta and grilled scallions. Yes, truffle oil can be expensive and difficult to find. You can make this recipe using a fruity and flavorful olive oil in place of the truffle oil, or simply make the butter with herbs alone.
Ingredients
- Polenta
- Water - 4 cups
- Cornmeal - 3/4 cup, coarsely ground
- Fresh parmesan cheese - 3 tablespoons, grated
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Vegetable oil
- Chickens or Cornish game hens - 4 small
- Truffle Butter (below) - 2 slices
- Vegetable Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Foil-wrapped Bricks - 4
- Scallion Bundles
- Scallions - 20
- Vegetable oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Truffle Butter (below) - 14 slices, warmed to the melting point
- Lemon Wedges - 4
- Truffle Butter
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 pound, at room temperature
- Shallot - 1, minced
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Truffle oil - 2 tablespoons
- Fresh Parsley - 1 tablespoon, minced
- Fresh Thyme - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
To prepare the polenta: In a heavy medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Gradually whisk the cornmeal into the boiling water. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until very thick and shiny, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Lightly oil a 6-inch pie pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Prepare a grill for direct heat cooking: Light a charcoal grill and let the coals burn until covered with light grey ash. Or, light a gas grill according to manufacturer’s directions. Place the cooking grate on top and let it heat for a minute or two until hot.
While the coals are heating, using poultry or kitchen shears, remove the wing tips and backbone by splitting the chickens or hens along the sides of the backbones to remove. Place the birds skin-side up on a work surface, pull open, split the breastbone, and press down firmly to flatten. Rinse and pat dry. Gently separate the skin from the meat at the breast and thigh. Insert bits of Truffle Butter under the skin, then press back in place. Brush the birds on both sides with oil; season with salt and pepper.
Place the birds skin-side up on the cooking grate. Set a foil-wrapped brick on top of each bird to keep them flat while cooking. Cook 20 minutes. Remove the bricks, turn the birds, and replace the bricks. Cook 20 more minutes, or until the meat near the thigh bone is no longer pink and the skin is crisp. Remove from heat; if desired, remove the breastbones before serving.
About 5 minutes before the birds are finished, cut the polenta into four wedges. Brush with oil and place, top-side down, on a hot area of the grate. When the wedges have sear marks, turn and grill on the other side until marked. Remove and set aside.
To prepare the scallions: Wash the scallions, leaving the roots on but removing the scraggly tops of the greens. Bring a pot of water to a boil and put four scallion tops in the water for 15 to 30 seconds, until the tops are wilted; remove with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Lay 5 raw scallions together and tie with one of the wilted tops. Repeat to make four bundles. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the hot grate and grill until they just begin to blacken, turning as needed. Set aside.
To serve: Place a bird, skin-side up, on each plate. Add a polenta wedge and scallion bundle. Drizzle warmed truffle butter over the birds. Garnish with lemon wedges.
Truffle Butter
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saute pan. Add the shallots and garlic; cook slowly over medium-low heat until just tender. Cool. Mix with the remaining butter, truffle oil, parsley, and thyme; season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Place a small sheet of plastic on a work surface and place the butter on the plastic; roll up into a cylinder, twisting the ends to seal, and refrigerate until firm. Cut into 16 slices.
