Can someone give me some input on smoking 4 Rock Hens for a dinner party next month.
Rub or no Rub, how many hours at what temp? Using the standard Bradley Smoker.
Any suggestions on side dishes?
Thanks.
First thing... Butterfly them by removing the backbone so they lay flat on the rack, breast side up. I would set the smoker no higher than 250, and be careful how long you smoke, chicken tends to absorb smoke a little faster than other meats and the flavor can get a little overpowering. These arent very large birds so the cook time will vary depending on size, I would stick to internal temp to know when they are done, I wouldnt go over 170 on the breast. Keep the vent at least 50-75% open, chicken has a lot of moisture and moisture causes rubbery skin as well as problems maintaining a regular cabinet tempurature. I doubt anything you do will make the skin as nice a texture as is if were done on a grill, a trade off for the smoke flavor I suppose. I recommend putting a nice poultry rub or compound butter under the skin, then discard the skin and finish off on a hot grill if you want to add a little sauce and a crispy mouth feel.
I do whole fryer chickens this way and the results are great!