Planked Chicken Quarters with Lemon and Herb

Ingredients

• For the brine:
• 2 quarts cold water
• 1/3 cup Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 whole chicken leg and thigh quarters
• For the baste:
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, mashed with a pinch of salt into a paste
• 1/2 cup lemon juice from about 4 lemons
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 wood grilling planks, soaked for 1 hour prior to use
• Type of fire: two-zone indirect
• Grill heat: medium-high

Directions

1. For the brine, combine the water, salt, and sugar in a large container and whisk until the salt and sugar have fully disappeared. Make 3-4 cuts through the skin side of each chicken quarter, going down to the bone, then lower the chicken into the brine. Refrigerate the container and let the chicken sit for 1 hour.
2. While the chicken brines, add the olive oil and garlic paste to a small nonreactive saucepan and set it over medium heat. As soon as the oil begins bubbling at the garlic, take the pan off the heat and cool it for 5 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and red pepper, then add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Take the chicken out of the brine and dry it well with paper towels. Light one chimney full of charcoal. Once the charcoal is fully lit and coated in gray ash, dump it out and pile the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Put the cooking grate on the grill and let it heat for 5 minutes. Scrub the grate clean and oil it. Set the chicken on the hot side of the grill with the skin facing down, and cook until the skin is lightly crisped and browned, about 5 minutes. Move the chicken to a tray.
4. Set the planks on the hot side of the grill and heat them until they begin to blacken and smoke. Turn the planks over, slide them to the cooler side of the grill, and place the chicken quarters on the planks with the skin side up. Paint the chicken generously with the baste. Cover the grill and continue cooking until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest section of a thigh reads 165 degrees F, 20 to 30 minutes more.
5. Move the chicken to a serving platter and brush it once more with the baste. Rest it for 5 minutes, then serve.