You can do this on a gas grill--my son does. Just heat the iron skillet over the burners for a few minutes, and then cook as directed. Grills vary wildly in heating ability and uniformity, but most have a built-in thermometer these days. And if doesn't, it's really easy to rely on the old sound and smell methods that worked for a couple of thousand years: It's too hot if it's burning, it's too cold if you can't hear it cooking.
The cast-iron skillet, by the way, is the key in keeping everything both crisp and moist. Cooked on a rack, a chicken slowly loses its fat and moisture to the pan. Cooked in the skillet, the meat spends half its time submerged in the fat and juices, and it stays juicy. But if the oven's too cold, it gets all rubbery and horrible. Anything below 475F, you're not quite roasting anymore, and anything above 525F, you're flirting with instant carbonization.
Note that recipe works best with a nice tender bird. A rooster with credentials needs to be gentled along in a covered roaster, or cooked in a very low oven (maybe 225F) for 8 or so hours.
BTW, the deft cook's handiest tool is a digital laser thermometer. Mine looks like a ray gun, measures to 900F, and cost $49.95 at an auto parts store. Its day job was diagnosing exhaust and engine temperatures.
The cast-iron skillet, by the way, is the key in keeping everything both crisp and moist. Cooked on a rack, a chicken slowly loses its fat and moisture to the pan. Cooked in the skillet, the meat spends half its time submerged in the fat and juices, and it stays juicy. But if the oven's too cold, it gets all rubbery and horrible. Anything below 475F, you're not quite roasting anymore, and anything above 525F, you're flirting with instant carbonization.
Note that recipe works best with a nice tender bird. A rooster with credentials needs to be gentled along in a covered roaster, or cooked in a very low oven (maybe 225F) for 8 or so hours.
BTW, the deft cook's handiest tool is a digital laser thermometer. Mine looks like a ray gun, measures to 900F, and cost $49.95 at an auto parts store. Its day job was diagnosing exhaust and engine temperatures.
