On 17-Apr-2008, Walt Fles wrote:

I need some ideas for doing the above:
brine or not
type of wood
mop/sauce or just rub?
thanks in advance!

Mind you, I only smoke whole chickens at my house, but I have learned
a thing or two about it.
1. Chicken likes a citrus brine. Overnight is good. Hound's brine is great.
TFM's brine is easier and also quite good. Goya or Badia brand 'Mojo
Criollo' is easiest and still pretty good.
2. Rub before cooking is good. IMO garlic sux on chicken. I use Old Bay.
Best I've come up with so far, but I'm still looking. My house rub is 'Bayou
Blast' by Emeril. It sux on chicken.
2. Chicken does not benefit from slow cooking. There is no colagen to break
down and precious little moisture to be sacrificed. Cook at 250°F to 325°F.
3. Chicken loves fruitwood smoke. I have orange and it's a perfect match.
Otherwise, I use oak. Mesquite is just okay, but IMO hickory does not
marry well with chicken.
4. Basting is a waste of effort and only extends the cooking time.
5. Skin will be a disaster unless you can crisp it up near the end of the
cook.
Ceramic cookers can do it by ramping the heat up quickly to 450° - 500°F.
With breasts having only one skin side, you could do it under a broiler.
Place
it close to the fire and don't leave it even for an instant. Get it out the
instant
the deed is done.
**Frankly, I don't hold out much hope of actually salvaging the skin, but
some here have claimed that it works. I've never even tried it and probably
won't. I like fresh chicken skin deep fried and seasoned after, or whole
chicken parts deep fried with the skin on and seasoned after.
--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)