French spitroasted chicken with roasted potatoes

Rotisserie chicken is one of those dishes that feels almost too easy for how good it turns out. This French spit-roast version gets its flavour from a simple mix of oil, lemon and classic French herbs, and the slow rotation over the heat does the rest.

The potatoes underneath steal the show almost as much as the chicken. They sit in the tray catching every bit of seasoned fat, turning soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.

It’s a relaxed, rustic barbecue dish with simple ingredients, big flavour, and a slow-roasted chicken that brings a bit of that classic French market rotisserie vibe straight to your backyard.

To get the seasoning deep into the meat, you’ll want to work it under the skin. Where the chicken’s neck used to be, you can easily reach the breast meat. Make a small cut with a sharp knife that’s just enough to separate the first bit of skin from the meat.

From there, you can slide your fingers under the skin and loosen it without tearing anything. Press the dry rub underneath as you go. For the legs, make a small incision so you can do the same thing. The wings are the only part where you can only sprinkle the rub on the outside.

Once the chicken is seasoned, place it in the fridge, uncovered. We set ours on a wire rack with a sheet of foil underneath. The salt now pulls into the meat, helping it retain moisture so the chicken stays juicy during the roast. At the same time, the salt slightly dries the skin, allowing it to crisp during grilling, rather than turn rubbery.

We grill more often than most people, and our grill is fired up at least three times a week. Usually, that means nothing more than good smells drifting through the garden, but sometimes a bit of smoke sneaks over the fence. To keep the neighbours happy, something tasty goes their way every now and then. Our gas grill has enough space for multiple birds, so one of them is reserved for next door.

Set up the grill for indirect heat at around 200°C (395°F). On our gas grill, that means running the two outer burners on their lowest setting.

After about 30 minutes, we place a tray of halved baby potatoes under each chicken. The idea is that the dripping fat seasons the potatoes as they roast. Just keep the lid closed as much as possible, but give the potatoes a quick toss every fifteen minutes.

After about an hour to an hour and a half, the chicken should be ready. You’re aiming for a core temperature of about 70°C (160°F) in the breast and 85°C (185°F) in the legs. By then, the potatoes should be golden and soft. If they need a little more time, turn up the heat while the chicken rests.

If you’re going to try this French-style rotisserie chicken yourself, let us know in the comments. Even better, snap a photo and post it on Instagram. Tag @bbqhelden so we can check out your cook.