Chicken ranks high among America's favorite foods. It can be fried, baked, stewed or broiled. It can be seasoned in limitless ways. Yet, what better way of cooking makes this domestic fowl more delicious than broiling over an open fire?

Chickens for surface broiling should be fryers or broilers cut in halves or quarters. Cut up chicken dries out too quickly.

1. Surface broiled chicken

  • Preheat grill at medium burner setting for 10 minutes with cooking rack removed.
  • Locate cooking grid at top position. Rub surface of grid with cooking oil to minimize sticking.
  • Place chicken on grid cavity side down. The cover may be raised or partially lowered. The chicken will cook faster with the cover lowered.
  • Turn chicken frequently and baste with melted butter, lemon-butter or your favorite basting sauce. If chicken is browning too fast, turn burner knob to lower setting.
  • If you wish, you can baste chicken with a barbecue sauce shortly before cooking is completed. Tomato-based barbecue sauces will burn if exposed to the flames too long.

2. Rotisserie-broiled chicken

Rotisserie-broiled is a favorite way of barbecuing chicken because it cooks the chicken to an appetizing, even brownness and requires less attention. Chicken may be cooked this way with the grill covet lowered to increase the smoky flavor. Whole chickens may be skewered and clamped and tied into position on the rotisserie spit. The spit will hold two average or three small broiler type chickens.

Halves and quarters of chicken can be rotisserie broiled in the flat rotisserie basket.

This basket will hold from five to seven chicken halves.

Chicken should be brushed occasionally with your favorite basting sauce to keep it moist and tender.