Something Chinese Grilled Chicken

A beautiful sunny day called for grilling something.  Returning from a week away, the request was made by Maggie for something Chinese.  So, the compromise was made for a Chinese rub of some sort.  Chris started the charcoal and I started pulling things from the cupboards and refrigerator.  

Roughly speaking, here's what went into the sauce.  

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp 5 spice powder

1" piece of ginger grated on a microplane (about 1 tbsp)

3 cloves garlic grated on the microplane

3 scallions very finely chopped

1 tbsp sweet soy sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

1/8 tsp ground szechuan pepper

Mix all together resulting in a thick sauce.  Split a whole chicken through the back bone.  Break the breast bone in order to flatten.  Or you can spatchcock the chicken.  Start coals and burn until they start to grey and ash.  Set coals to one side of the grill to cook the chicken via indirect heat.  Soak wood chips in water a few hours ahead.  Place a small handful of wood chips directly on the charcoal.  Brush chicken with the sauce on both sides.  I brushed the inside first as that was the side to be laid down on the grill.  Once the chicken was on the grill, I brushed the skin side.  Cover the grill and maintain a temperature of about 250f.  Over the course of the 1.75 hours the chicken was on the grill, the temp of the bbq ranged from 250f to 300f.  

I served the chicken with fried rice and wok fried baby bok choy.  A very nice spring dinner.