FIVE-SPICE CHICKEN WITH HOISIN-MAPLE GLAZE

I've written about indirect grilling before and when I saw this recipe in the August/September 2011 issue of Fine Cooking, I knew I had to try it. We eat a lot of chicken and I'm always on the lookout for different ways to prepare it. Summer is a great time to grill and both DSO and I love a good glaze, particularly one with an Oriental flair. Using this method of grilling prevents flare ups and ensures that the chicken will be cooked inside without being incinerated on the outside.

Since we prefer dark meat, I used 3 pounds of chicken quarters. There were leftovers for lunch the next day.

2 tbs dark brown sugar
1 tbs sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tbs minced fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)
2 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp dry mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 lb bone-in chicken pieces
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbs pure maple syrup
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs honey
2 tsp Asian sesame oil
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup peanut oil

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, paprika, garlic, 2 tsp of the 5 spice powder, mustard, 1 tsp salt, and 2 tsp pepper. Put the chicken pieces in a 9X13 inch baking dish and rub the spice mix all over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and no more than 6 hours.

Prepare a grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (this means heating all 3 sections of the grill, then turning off the back 2--those are the indirect cooking sections). In a small bowl, combine the hoisin, maple syrup, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, ginger, and the remaining 1/2 tsp of 5 spice powder.

Lightly brush the chicken pieces with the peanut oil and arrange skin side down over direct heat. Cover and cook until the grill marks form, 3-5 minutes. Flip the chicken and repeat so there are grill marks on both sides.Brush the chicken with the glaze, flip over and  move the chicken to the indirect heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, brush with the glaze and cook for 20 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees for breast pieces, 170 degrees for dark meat. Brush more glaze on the chicken, move to direct heat for 30-60 seconds, flip chicken and repeat. Serve immediately.

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TASTE NOTES
Using both a spice rub and a glaze really amped up the flavor profile of this dish. The chicken was succulent inside and incredibly flavorful throughout as well. In the future I think I'll make legs and thighs on the bone rather than the quarters just because they're easier to pick up and eat. There's no comparison between boneless chicken and chicken on the bone. The latter is always more flavorful and juicy. We enjoyed this chicken with some potato salad and fresh corn on the cob. The recipe is definitely a keeper.