Clucking

Now, don't get me wrong - I love chicken - but sometimes I think if I have another roasted chicken, I'll start clucking. Growing feathers. Laying eggs. Eating bugs.

Clearly, I needed a change of pace from my usual oven-roasted bird. Luckily, we've been blessed with great barbecuing weather recently and, when I was cleaning out the garage, I noticed that we still have a few cedar planks left from the huge bundle we bought years ago.

Planked chicken. Perfect! It needed nothing more than a light bath in olive oil and a couple of planks underneath over gray coals with red centers. Fifty minutes later, I lifted it off the now-charred plank, plunked it on a cutting board and called My Beloved to dinner.

If you've never tried planking, this is your year! Go here for some basic instructions. It's truly a great way to cook any number of delicious meats on the grill. Whatever you plank will have a distinctly smoky flavor and retain its moisture. A bonus - no oven to clean - just toss the planks and dust off your hands. And no need to worry about pecking order.