St Louis BBQ Spatchcock Chicken and Creole Corn

 So yesterday was the 4th of July and social media was rammed with posts from my friends across the pond having a blast and, of course, posts with plenty of food!

The last few days of work have been exhausting,, and I have had little of a chance to be creative in the kitchen. But yesterday, I knew I'd be getting home early, and I had spent the day dreaming up American themed recipes that I could make later that evening. I thought I might surprise my brother (and flatmate) for when he finished work as he works super hard in the city and rarely has time for a proper meal (but also because he often serves as a guinea pig for my creations... poor him).

I wanted to make a recipe that celebrated America's food culture and history whilst also being undeniably American. The roots of America and its variety of cuisines lie in its history of immigration and the food culture and traditions people brought with them. If you've read Neil Gaiman's "American Gods", you'll know what I'm on about...  replace the gods with food and you're there (if you haven't read it then I can't recommend it highly enough).

Over the years these cultures have intertwined beautifully, leading to some of the most interesting food in the world. Creole cooking is such a great example, with its style originating in Louisiana but with French, Spanish, West African, Amerindian, Haitian, German and Italian influences (and from the general cuisine of the Southern United States). All of these different food cultures merging...but in the best way possible. It's fascinating really!

I had decided on my recipe. St Louis style spatchcock chicken and creole seasoned corn on the cob. Sweet, spicy, smoky... it had everything I wanted for tonight's meal. So after work, I rushed excitedly to grab what I needed from the shops. I would make the BBQ sauce and creole seasoning from scratch so I needed to find any extra dried herbs and spices that I didn't already have crammed in my cupboard at home (turned out I didn't need that many...I'm a spice hoarder) and a medium-sized chicken and corn on the cob. I hopped on the train and set off home to get started on dinner. 

I started with the BBQ sauce and the seasoning. The creole seasoning is lovely, providing some warmth and smokiness. Just put all the ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly combine. That's it! The St Louis BBQ sauce just involves all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmering for 20 minutes. It's a lovely sticky, sweet, and tangy sauce that works well with chicken. You'll end up with plenty leftover of both but the sauce will keep for weeks in a sterilised jar in the fridge.

I spatchcocked the chicken next, which allows a higher oven temperature and a shorter cooking time. Perfect to get the skin to crisp up without burning the glaze, plus keeping the meat juicy. I glazed the chicken with the first layer of BBQ sauce and placed it in the middle of the oven at 200C (180C fan) where it would roast for 40 minutes. 

Meanwhile, I got on with preparing the sweet corn. Rather than just boiling them, I recently learnt of an amazing way to cook corn on the cob for an extra smooth and comforting taste. Simmer the corn in a mixture of half whole milk, half water and half a pack of butter (one stick) for about 8 minutes (top tip- make sure the saucepan is large and is filled only halfway with the milk and water... when simmering the mixture is prone to frothing and flooding the kitchen...trust me!). Once done, I set these aside as I'd be giving them some colour in the pan just before serving.

After 40 minutes in the oven, I applied the second glaze of BBQ sauce. The chicken looked great already, crispy and slightly charred in places and it smelled amazing! It would only need 10 more minutes and it would be done. I was wondering where my brother was; he hadn't responded to my messages, and it was getting late by now. I cracked open a beer, Beavertown's Lupuloid IPA. If you're a Londoner go visit the brewery in North London. I figured he wouldn't be long, so I got on with finishing the corn.

Oof!

I heated some butter in a frying pan on a medium/high heat and added the corn on the cob, turning each twice to brown them on 3-4 sides. The chicken came out of the oven and I was about to carve when my phone vibrated. It was my brother. I'd completely forgotten he had gone home for a few days... Oh well, I could now style the food without judgement and have leftovers for days. Win!

St Louis BBQ Spatchcock Chicken and Creole Corn

Ingredients:

Creole Spice Mix:

- 5 tbsp smoked paprika

- 3 tbsp salt

- 2 tbsp onion powder

- 2 tbsp garlic powder

- 2 tbsp dried oregano

- 2 tbsp dried basil

- 1 tbsp dried thyme 

- 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes

- 1 tbsp ground white pepper

- 1 tbsp ground black pepper

- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper

St Louis BBQ sauce

- 3 cups tomato ketchup

- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

- 1/2 cup soft brown sugar 

- 1/4 cup French brown mustard

- 3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 

- 2 tbsp. dark soy sauce

- 1 tbsp. hot sauce (whatever's your favourite)

 -1 tbsp. minced garlic

- 1 tbsp. onion powder

- 1 medium chicken

- 4 whole cobs of corn 

- 2 pints whole milk

- 2 pints water

- 125g or 1 stick of salted butter (plus a knob for frying)

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Small bunch of flat leaf parsley to garnish

Method:

- Prepare the creole spice mix by combining the herbs and spices in a small bowl and stirring to combine. Store in an airtight container or jar.

- Prepare the BBQ sauce by combining the ingredients in a small saucepan and whisking until the mixture comes to boil. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool before storing in a sterile jar or container.

- Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) and spatchcock the chicken. Lay the chicken skin-side up on a baking tray and brush on a layer of the BBQ sauce. Place at the centre of the preheated oven and allow to roast for 40 minutes.

- In the meantime add 2 pints of water, 2 pints of whole milk, the butter and a crack of black pepper to a large pan (the pan should be large enough that it is filled halfway only). Bring to the boil. 

- Chop each corn cob in two and add to the milk and water mixture, turn the heat down and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove the corn and set aside on a plate.

- After 40 minutes remove the chicken from the oven and apply a second coating of BBQ sauce. Put the chicken back in the oven to roast for 10 more minutes.

- Remove from the oven and allow to rest covered with foil for 10-15 minutes.

- Heat some butter in a frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the corn. Allow the underside to almost burn before turning 3-4 times to bring some colour and smoky flavour to a few sides of the corn, remove from the heat and season generously with the creole spice mix.

- Chop the chicken into individual portions and serve with the corn, garnished with some fresh parsley and some more creole seasoning. This would also taste great with crusty fresh bread or with some mashed potatoes.