Clay-Oven Chicken
This roasted-on-the-grill chicken recipe is inspired by weng yao ji, or clay oven–roasted chicken, a specialty of Nantou County, Taiwan. Taiwan’s clay-oven chicken is traditionally suspended in a cylindrical oven as it roasts. It’s then torn into juicy pieces by hand and served with drippings for dipping and lemons for squeezing over the smoky meat. To approximate the clay-oven cooking method, use a kamado-style charcoal grill, like a Big Green Egg, and a vertical chicken roaster, like the HIC Vertical Chicken Roaster ($11,amazon.com). You can also roast the birds in a 250°F oven with the vertical roasters set in a 9- x 13-inch pan and the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
July 2018