Malt-chicken and sour-bleu

Method

Split the chicken in half. Place the halves into a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Pour in the malt vinegar, Tabasco sauce and peanut oil. Massage the chicken through the bag. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Break up about 3-4 oz bleu cheese into the sour cream and mayo. Stir. Adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste. Thin the dressing out with 1-2 Tbl of heavy cream. Stir and refrigerate for a few hours.

broiling

1. Locate a broiler pan and a grill grate (or rack) to fit the pan.

2. Place an oven grate into the oven and place the broiler pan with the grill grate on the oven grate. Verify that the grill grate is 5-7 inches from the flames - with a ruler.

3. Preheat the oven on the broil setting for 10 minutes.

4. While broiling, keep the oven door ajar.

Arrange the chicken halves, end to end on the grate. Broil the chicken for about 15 minutes, basting with the excess marinade every 5 minutes. Re-arrange the the halves after the first 10 minutes. Turn the halves over and broil for another 15-20 minutes, basting and re-arranging as before. Turn the chicken halves for the final time. Season with salt and pepper. Spritze a small amount of malt vineger over them as well. Ladle some of the sour-bleu dressing over the center and wing regions of both of halves, but do not use a large amount or the dressing will drip off. Slide the rack in the oven up one position higher. Broil until the sour-bleu on the chicken skin gets bubbly. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 8 minutes. Serve with the remainder of the sour-bleu, on the side.