In order to showcase it with its natural flavors essentially unadorned, I kept the process very simple: I butterflied it down the backbone, pressed it flat, rubbed it lightly with olive oil, then sprinkled it with pepper (freshly ground Tellicherry) and salt (Australian Murray River pink flake salt).
Then I grilled it over lump charcoal and hickory hardwood (New Braunfels Black Diamond grill/smoker), searing it on both sides over hot direct heat, then grilling on indirect heat, turning occasionally, until the thigh temperature reached 165F (turning it so the thigh joint spent more time closer to direct heat than the more delicate breast meat). This ended up taking about 45 minutes.
The results: Infreakin'credible! Deb got it right: Best chicken I ever ate, bar none. Juicy, tender and deeply flavorful, subtly flavored but not overwhelmed by hickory smoke. We literally picked the bones and wished there was more.
Considering that I'll willingly pay $15 to $20 a pound for local grass-fed rib eye or wild-caught fresh halibut, I can't really quibble about paying the same price for the best chicken in the world. But I still hope those folks earned it and aren't just sticking it to the foodie city dwellers just because they can.
