Blue Moon Chicken

Memorial Day weekend and the daycare was closed Monday. Three whole days. I did not know what to do with the third day, which is a thing you can only understand if you have not had a lot of days that were entirely yours to fill. I went to the library. I cleaned the apartment. I made a pot of chicken and dumplings that took four hours because I made the stock from scratch first, boiling a whole chicken with onion and celery and bay leaves, and then shredded the meat and dropped the dumplings into the simmering broth by the spoonful.

Gloria does not make chicken and dumplings often, she calls it a cold-weather dish, but I have been craving it and I had the time. The dumplings were light. Not as light as hers but light. The broth was good. I ate a bowl and put the rest in the fridge and ate it for three more days and did not get tired of it, which is always the sign of a recipe worth keeping.

Called Gloria on Sunday and she said come by, James grilled, and I did. He had ribs and chicken on the grill out back, the slow kind that take all afternoon, with a charcoal fire he has been tending with the same technique since I have known him. He does not rush the fire. He says the fire knows what it is doing if you let it. I sat on the back porch with a glass of sweet tea and watched him tend the grill and thought: I want to learn how to grill. This is a skill I do not have and should have.

The ribs were extraordinary. The chicken was perfect. I drove home with a plate covered in foil and put it in my refrigerator and felt, not for the first time, like the luckiest orphan in Alabama.

Sitting on Gloria’s back porch watching James tend that charcoal fire — not rushing it, just reading it — made me want to come home and learn the thing properly. I’d eaten the results my whole life without ever understanding the patience behind them, and something about that afternoon shifted in me. This Blue Moon Chicken recipe is where I started: a simple beer marinade, bone-in pieces, and a fire I promised myself I would not rush. James would say the fire knows what it’s doing if you let it, and after making this twice, I think he’s right.

Prep Time: 15 min + 2 hrs marinating | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 55 min | Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, and/or breasts)
1 bottle (12 oz) Blue Moon Belgian White wheat ale
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 orange, zested and juiced (about 1/4 cup juice)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for finishing
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

Make the marinade. Whisk together the beer, olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, and cayenne (if using) in a large bowl or measuring cup until combined.
Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken pieces in a large zip-top bag or shallow baking dish. Pour the marinade over the top, seal or cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Turn the pieces once halfway through if you can.
Prep the grill. For charcoal, arrange a two-zone fire: bank the coals to one side for high heat, leaving the other side cool. You want the grill temperature around 375–400°F over the hot zone. For gas, preheat one burner to medium-high and leave one burner off. Oil the grates well.
Sear the chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat lightly with paper towels (leave a little moisture). Place skin-side down over the hot zone and sear, undisturbed, for 4–5 minutes until the skin releases easily and has good color. Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes.
Move to indirect heat. Transfer the seared pieces to the cool zone of the grill. Close the lid and cook, turning once halfway, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F for breasts and 175°F for thighs and drumsticks — about 25–30 minutes more. Do not rush this step.
Rest and serve. Move the chicken to a clean platter, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Finish with a light pinch of flaky salt if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Blue Moon Chicken — Learning to Tend the Fire