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8 recipes for the backyard grill

With a grill, a few ingredients, and a couple of minutes, your summer dinner will be ready. 

3. Grilled chicken with lemon sage butter

Terry Boyd/Blue Kitchen
Use indirect grilling with the skin side up to let the butter and the chicken fat melt over the meat, keeping it moist and tender.

By Terry Boyd, Blue Kitchen

Serves 4

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 each, chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin-on and bone-in
salt and freshly ground black pepper

canola oil for the grate

1. About 1/2 hour before you’re ready to grill, remove chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and sage.

2. Prepare your grill for indirect grilling. I use charcoal, so when the coals were hot, I arranged them on one side of the grill. Lightly oil the grate. Brush each side of the chicken pieces with the lemon sage butter, being sure to get bits of sage on each piece. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.

3. Place the chicken on the grill away from the coals, skin side up. Cover the grill and cook for about 10 minutes. Move chicken over the coals, skin side down, cover grill and cook until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip chicken skin side up over coals, cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Move chicken away from coals and brush generously with lemon sage butter. Cover and cook until a quick-read thermometer registers 165ºF when inserted in the thickest part of a drumstick or thigh (being careful to avoid the bone). The timing here is anyone’s guess, which is why the thermometer is an invaluable tool. Start checking after 5 or so minutes, but don’t be surprised if it takes a good deal longer.

5. Transfer to a serving platter, tent with foil and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

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Mark Sappenfield
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