Smoked Chicken

Dry Rub:

1 table spoon paprika

1 table spoon sugar

1/2 tea spoon black pepper

1/2 tea spoon garlic powder

1/4 tea spoon cayenne pepper 

Mix all the ingredients well and sprinkle over the chicken breasts (serves 2), massage gently and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.

Mop:

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup extra dry Martini

4 table spoons orange marmelade

1/2 tea spoon salt

1 tea spoon dried thime

Mix in a blender all the ingredients. Put a metal pot containing the mop sealed with aluminium foil in the smoker to keep it warm.

Preparation:

Carve the chicken with light rhombus cuts on the roud side, top, inject the meat with pineapple juice, massage the rub on the breast and let the meat rest for at least 1 hour. During this time I usually set the fire, prepare and enjoy a coktail, set the table.

Once the fire reaches the desired temperature 200-220° F or 90-110° C place the breasts round side up in the smoker. Cook for 2,5 hours depending on the wait of the breast. Chicken must be eaten well cooked, you might want to use an digital termometer to check its doneness.

Brush the chicken every half hour with the mop starting from the first hour.

I have used cherry wood to flavour the meat and smoked the chicken heavily, during the last half hour increase lightly the heat of the smoker to give an extraordinary brownish finish, be carefull with excessive heat as the sugar contained in the mop and rub might becomes black and ruins in seconds the hard work done....

Buon appetito