Crispy Chicken Smoked on Hay

Prepare the brine: bring 1 liter of water to a boil and dissolve the salt and sugar in it. Add the garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, thyme and lemon slices.

Add the remaining 2 liters of cold water to cool it down. Make sure the brine is completely cold.

Place the chicken in a large bowl or bag, pour the brine over it and make sure the chicken is fully submerged. Let it brine for at least 4 to 6 hours, ideally overnight in the fridge.

Light the kamado and let it reach a stable temperature of 120 degrees. Set it up for indirect heat and place the heat deflectors to avoid direct heat on the chicken.

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry with paper towel.

Stuff the cavity of the chicken with thyme, rosemary and lemon slices for extra flavor.

Make a bed of hay on the grate.

Place the chicken on the hay in the kamado and close the lid. Keep the temperature at 120 degrees and let the chicken smoke for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thighs reaches 75 degrees. Add more hay if needed for a deeper smoke flavor.

Once the chicken is nearly done, raise the temperature in the kamado to 200 degrees.

Mix olive oil, butter and honey and brush it over the outside of the chicken. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.

Place the chicken back in the kamado and let it grill for another 10 to 15 minutes at high temperature until the skin is golden brown and crispy.

Let the chicken rest briefly before carving. Serve the crispy, smoky chicken garnished with fresh cilantro or parsley.