Recipe of Chianti Kitchen, the Tuscan
School of Cooking

Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken free range (3 ½ lbs / 1 ½ Kg)
Salt & Pepper

For the marinade:
3 cloves garlic
2 whole organic lemons, chopped with skin and seeds
1 large sprig sage
2 tablespoons (15 g) dark juniper berries
3 tablespoons (45 ml) Balsamic vinegar
1 cup (250 ml) extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup (60 ml) water
Salt & Pepper
1 fresh chili pepper (optional but goes great)

Preparation:
When cooking on a grill or barbecue, I prefer to first butterfly the chicken.  The larger cooking area will allow the bird to cook more evenly and in less time.  Cut the chicken along both sides of the backbone with a sharp knife or kitchen shears, remove the backbone, then open and flatten the chicken out. 

Place all of the marinade ingredients into a blender and blend for 2 - 3 minutes. Place the flattened chicken in a baking tray large enough to easily hold the bird, sprinkle it with salt & pepper and pour the marinade over the chicken on both sides.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours minimum before placing on the grill.  When the coals in your grill are white hot (or over medium-hot heat on a gas grill), grill the chicken skin-side up for about 20 minutes.  Flip the chicken with tongs and grill for another 20 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast registers 165˚F (75˚C).

If you are pressed for time, you can cook the chicken in its marinade in the oven for about 10 minutes at 490°F (250°C) and then finish it on the grill.  If you have some marinade left over, place it in a glass jar and pour a little olive oil over the top.  This will keep it in the fridge for a month for your next grilled chicken.

Serves 2 - 4