Preparation of smoked chicken with ‘red wine’ wood chunks and sherry
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade into a homogeneous mass. Take the chicken and rub the marinade well. Make a few incisions in the breast so that the marinade can soak in. Place the chicken in the refrigerator and let the marinade soak in for a few hours. We recommend letting the marinade soak in for about 8 to 12 hours for the ultimate flavor. Tip: marinate the chicken 1 day in advance.
In this recipe we use the Barbecook Oskar. Prepare the smoker for use with the Barbecook charcoal starter. Place some Barbecook lighter cubes on the bottom grid of the Oskar and put the starter on top. Fill the charcoal starter with charcoal. Light the lighter cubes through one of the holes at the bottom of the starter. After 15 minutes, a thin layer of grey ash will appear on the charcoal. Now it can be dropped into the bowl using the safe-drop system. Sprinkle a handful of pre-soaked Barbecook red wine wood chunks on the coals and fill the water bowl ¾ full with water. The wood chunks will add a unique, subtle flavour to the chicken. The water will ensure that the chicken does not dry out and that the temperature in the smoker does not become too hot.
Place the chicken on the top grid of the Oskar and close the smoker. Thanks to the adjustable air supply at the top and bottom of the smoker, you maintain full control throughout the smoking process. It’s important that the temperature in the smoker always remains between 120°C and 150°C. Allow the chicken to smoke for several hours until you get the right core temperature. For poultry, this is around 72°C and 74°C. If necessary, add some extra charcoal to keep the temperature high enough. Now and then, also add some extra soaked wood chunks.
Tip: Use the Barbecook digital thermometer. Insert the digital thermometer into the core of the chicken breast and maintain perfect control over the cooking. Beep! Your thermometer lets you know that the chicken is ready.
Serve the smoked chicken with a fresh barbecue salad if desired.
Good luck!