Grilled Chicken with Honey Stone Fruit

Sumac is a Mediterranean spice made from the dried berries of the plant.  It is a beautiful, reddish-purple color.  It impacts a slightly sour flavor, as well as amazing color, to the dish

This is a modified version of Melissa Clark’s Roast Chicken with Plums recipe from the New York Times. The grill eliminates the need to turn on the oven in the summer months, while still taking advantage of all the amazing stone fruit varieties available at the market right now. 

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Ingredients:

• 2 whole chicken legs, skin-on/bone-in
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons sumac*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, grated or minced
• 1 bunch thyme
• 1½ cups various stone fruit (plums, apricots, pluots, peaches), halved and quartered
• 2 tablespoons dark or amber honey, such a Love a Bee Hay Honey or San Joaquin Flame
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch allspice
• 1 bay leaf, halved
• ¼ of a large red onion, sliced

Directions

1.  Turn the grill on high – when hot, the temperature inside the grill should be between 400-450 degrees.
2.  Zest the lemon into a bowl.  Set lemon aside.  Add the sumac, salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to create a rough paste. Thoroughly rub the chicken legs with the spice paste.  Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
3. Grease a casserole dish, Dutch oven or cast iron skillet with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place chicken skin side down in the dish with the thyme on top, divided between each leg.  Transfer to the grill.  Let cook with the grill covered for 25 minutes – until the skin is golden brown and crisp - before turning.  
4. Meanwhile, prepare the fruit in a medium bowl.  Combine fruit slices with the cinnamon, allspice, onion slices and both halves of the bay leaf.
5. When it is time, turn the chicken and arrange the seasoned fruit alongside it in the dish.  Replace the lid of the grill and cook another 35 minutes, or until the chicken is firm and pulling away from the bone.
6. Let cool for five minutes before serving.  Pairs well with a rice or quinoa pilaf, and a fresh cucumber salad. Serves 2-3.