Agave and Sesame Rotisserie Chicken

Think of your favourite Asian rotisserie — sweet, salty, and deeply savoury from the sesame oil, with gloriously crispy skin and juicy meat underneath. The rotisserie does the hard work here, basting the bird in its own juices as it turns. This one's a real crowd-pleaser straight off the grill.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, approximately 1.5–2kg
• 3 tablespoons (45ml) agave syrup
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) rapeseed oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, to finish
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced, to serve

Method

1. Mix together the agave syrup, soy sauce, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, garlic, ginger, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl to make your glaze. Set aside a couple of tablespoons of the glaze in a separate bowl before the chicken goes anywhere near it — you'll use this for basting at the end.
2. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper. Rub the glaze generously all over the bird, getting into the cavity and under the skin of the breast where you can. If you have time, leave it to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight for the best flavour.
3. Thread the chicken onto your rotisserie spit, trussing the legs and wings tightly against the body so nothing flaps about during the spin. Balance matters — an unbalanced bird puts strain on the motor and cooks unevenly.
4. Set up your grill for indirect heat at around 180–190°C. Place a drip tray beneath the chicken to catch the juices (and avoid flare-ups). Start the rotisserie motor and close the lid.
5. Cook for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes for a 1.5kg bird, or up to 1 hour 50 minutes for a 2kg bird. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, brush the reserved (clean) glaze over the chicken and scatter over the sesame seeds — this is what gives you that gorgeous sticky, lacquered finish.
6. Check the chicken is cooked through using a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. You're looking for 75°C. Once it hits temperature, switch off the motor and carefully remove the spit.
7. Rest the chicken loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes before carving. Scatter with sliced spring onions and serve.

Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.