A new written version for the family’s rotisserie chicken photographs. Golden skin, gentle turning and a thermometer at the finish.
New cookbook version · Serves 4–6
Written to complete the family collection. This is a new version, not a recovered record of the original cook.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 1.6–1.8 kg
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 lemon, halved
Method
- Pat the chicken dry. Mix oil and seasonings and rub all over. Refrigerate uncovered for 4–12 hours if time permits.
- Truss the legs and wings securely. Fit the chicken evenly on the rotisserie spit, tightening both forks. Check it turns freely and is balanced.
- Prepare the barbecue for indirect cooking at about 180–190°C with a drip tray beneath. Follow the rotisserie maker’s setup instructions.
- Cook with the lid closed for roughly 70–100 minutes, depending on the bird and barbecue. Begin checking early; both the thickest breast and inner thigh must reach at least 74°C without the probe touching bone.
- Stop the motor and remove the spit carefully with heatproof gloves. Rest chicken for 15 minutes, then carve and serve with lemon.
Kitchen notes
This is a newly written method, not a recovered word-for-word record of Daniel’s original rotisserie timings.
From preparation to the table
Original photographs from our family cooking. Where the recipe is labelled as a new version, these earlier photographs record the meal and may show variations rather than every exact ingredient or step above.
