Michigan Cottage Cook: LEMON BBQ SAUCE FOR GRILLED CHICKEN FROM TOM AND MOLLY'S MOM

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

LEMON BBQ SAUCE FOR GRILLED CHICKEN FROM TOM AND MOLLY'S MOM

Boardwalk in Highland Park. Tom's family has been coming to the Highland Park area of Grand Haven since the late 1880's.

When families gather, frequently family recipes become a topic for discussion. When Tom’s family was in town recently there were two things that had to be on the menu. Tom said that he wanted to make his Mother’s Lemon BBQ Chicken and his sister said she would make their Mom’s Potato Salad. Both recipes bring back memories of their Mother and their childhood. Questions such as do you remember, how old were we when, is that place still there, keep the conversation going and add to the family knowledge of the younger generation present.

Living room of the cousin's cottage where the family gathers.

Back in the day when most people smoked cigarettes, Wesson Oil put recipes on match book covers. This BBQ sauce is a recipe that Tom’s Mom saved from one of those match book covers. It became a family favorite. It is a light sauce not heavy with sugar, tomatoes, or hot sauce, for grilled chicken. In Tom’s words, “It is tasty.”

Grilled Lemon BBQ Chicken ready to feed a hungry family. Enjoy!!

TOMMY AND MOLLY’S MOM’S LEMON BBQ SAUCE
1 clove garlic, I added more
½ t salt
½ t black pepper
1 t dried thyme or 3 t fresh thyme
2 T onion, grated
¼ c salad oil
½ c fresh lemon juice

Ingredients: Vegetable oil, salt and pepper, ground thyme, garlic, onion and lemon.

In a closeable jar, add the oil and lemon juice. Mince the garlic and grate the onion. Add to a jar with other ingredients. Chill, if possible, 24 hours.

Juice the lemons.

Tom tripled the recipe for the family-sized BBQ he was doing. Add lemon juice to the oil.

Mince garlic. Add to oil and lemon juice mixture.

Grate the onion. Add onion, thyme, salt, and pepper to the jar.

Shake well and chill for 24 hours.

Clean the chicken.

Medium hot coals.

Cook skin side up for 5 minutes. Turn kin side down. Baste with BBQ sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Turn and baste. Cook for 10 minutes. Turn and baste. Cook for 10 minutes. Turn and baste. Cook for 10 minutes. Should be done after 40 minutes. If not, turn and baste until done.