Grilled Lemon Chicken

from Living, by Martha Stewart (June 2004)

This method of grilling chicken is really nice. It produces crisp skin and juicy meat. You can use any marinade you like or even barbecue sauce.

Grilled* Lemon Chicken

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 4 lemons, halved
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh rosemary leaves, plus 20 sprigs, and more sprigs for garnish
12 chicken quarters (3 chickens)
4 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Blend lemon juice, oil, garlic, and rosemary leaves in a blender until rosemary is finely chopped.

2. Marinate chicken quarters in blended mixture for 8 to 12 hours.

3. Preheat grill to high, then turn off half the burners so you can cook the chicken indirectly.

4. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade for basting.

5. Place chicken on grill SKIN SIDE UP and not over flames. Scatter rosemary sprigs around chicken. Grill for 15 minutes, basting once or twice; sprinkle pieces with 1/2 the salt before basting.

6. Turn pieces SKIN SIDE DOWN. Grill an addtional 30 minutes, basting two or three times, and sprinkling with remaining salt and squeezing juice of remaining lemons. (Chicken may take a little more or less than 30 minutes depending on your grill--check with a meat thermometer to be sure.)

Serves 12.

*Roasting instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Divide the rosemary sprigs between two large rimmed baking sheets, spreading into a single layer on each. Place 6 chicken pieces on each sheet; sprinkle with 2 1/4 teaspoons salt. Roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, basting twice with reserved marinade, 20 minutes. Switch position of sheets. Squeeze juice from 2 lemon halves over chicken; sprinkle with 2 1/4 teaspoons salt. Continue to roast until golden and cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes more.