I love grilling season. Warm weather, the smell of the grill, fewer dishes – you know. It was just warm enough this holiday weekend to have a big group over for dinner for a fun (and CRAZY) dinner.

This was a new technique for cooking chicken – but with some new found confidence from internet research and a butcher at The Fresh Market who kindly de-boned my bird, it was a big hit.  It was a hoot grilling with my friend Margaret (lots of yelling while moving a greasy brick) and the chicken turned out perfectly moist. I’m going to use this technique all summer – so much better than your standard boneless skinless breast!

Harissa is a very unique spice filled with roasted red peppers, serrano peppers and other hot chili peppers and spices and herbs such as garlic paste, coriander seed, or caraway. You can pick it up at Savory Spice Shop in Friendly Center. The folks there recommended all sorts of harissa recipes to me while I was there!

Harissa Spiced Brick Chicken

• 1/4 cup harissa space
• 1 de-boned 3 to 4 pound chicken, skin on and butterflied
• Olive Oil
• sea salt

In a small bowl mix the harissa spice with 1/4 cup olive oil and salt. Take the chicken, loosen the skin and rub half the mixture underneath the skin. Take the rest of the mixture and rub all over. Leave chicken skin side down and leave overnight in a flat dish with cling-film.

Heat your grill to medium and wrap a nice heavy brick with foil. Grill the bird skin-side-down with the brick on top for about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, place the brick back and close the grill for about another 10 minutes. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes and then cut into sections.