I’m a sucker for weird kitchen utensils. And this goes even for my grill. I love a new, weird cooking surface. Pizza stones are amazing, even though I never understand why frozen pizzas now sometimes say not to use them. I ignore that advice and the craptastic $5 frozen pizza from my local grocer comes out almost like a real pizza.
Recently I got to try out a new cooking surface that is for sale called Salt Rox. Its a 8x8x2 pink himalayan salt cooking plate that is perfect for cooking small meals of meat, poultry or fish. It seems perfect for the grill, oven or stove top.
Here is a chicken recipe that I tried out with the Salt Rox. It came out with incredibly crispy and delicious skin and all the meat was very moist. The recipe is adapted from The Hearth and Grill Shop.
1 (4 to 5 – pound) Chicken
With the chicken breast side down on a cutting board, using a chef’s knife or a pair of kitchen shears, cut the chicken on either side of the backbone from the neck to the tail. Repeat on the opposite side and completely remove the backbone from the carcass.
Turn the chicken breast side up on the cutting board and with the heel of your hand press down in the center of the bird to crack the sternum. Press down hard enough to flatten the chicken into two equal attached halves. Place in a shallow dish for marinating.
For the Seasoning/Marinade:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 lemon, zest and juice, + a little juice to drizzle at the end
2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin olive oil + some to drizzle at the end
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
In a mixing bowl combine the garlic, rosemary, chili flakes, black pepper, and lemon juice & zest. Then whisk in the oil.
For the Salt Rox Blox:
1 each 8” x 12” Salt Rox Blox
1 Tablespoon, Safflower oil
Preheat a Big Green Egg, Weber Kettle, or other charcoal grill to medium heat, building the fire on one side of the grill. Place the cooking grids on the grill and place the Salt Rox Blox inside directly over the fire to preheat for 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing some of the excess olive oil to drain off. Brush the side of the Salt Rox Blox that will be placed on the chicken with the oil. Place the chicken skin side down on the opposite side of the hottest coals. A good trick is to have the drumsticks the closest to the direct heat, as they will take a little longer to cook. Place the hot Salt Rock Blox on top of the chicken and cook skin side down until the skin becomes crispy and browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Set the Salt Rox to the side and turn the chicken over to finish cooking another 15 to 20 minutes. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove the chicken to the warm Salt Rox and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the chicken to rest 5 to 10 minutes before carving to allow all of the juices to be reabsorbed.
Carve the chicken into serving pieces and drizzle with a little more lemon juice and olive oil. Serve right on the Salt Rox Blox.
