Spatchcock Brined Chicken or Turkey on the grill

"A chicken or turkey marinated in a simple brine, butterflied and cooked whole on the grill."
Serves Chicken 4-6 / Turkey 8-12 | Prep Time 20-30 minutes | Cook Time Chicken grill time is 1 - 1 1/2 hrs./Turkey is 1 1/2-2 hrs.Why I Love This Recipe
We did an Easter Turkey on the grill this way and it was absolutely delicious. I love the crisp, crackly skin you get when grilling.
Ingredients You'll Need
5-6 lb. chicken or 10-12 lb. turkey
1/2 stick butter
For the brine:
1/2 c. salt
1/2 brown sugar
1 c. water
herbs of your choice, such as basil, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, sage, oregano, etc. (I used dried herbs 1 t. each of oregano, thyme, parsley, and smoked paprika)
2 c. ice
cold water to cover bird
Directions
Start by thawing bird in the fridge. Turkeys will take 2-3 days to thaw. When bird is thawed, remove innards and either start broth with them or freeze them to use later. Rinse bird inside and out. Place salt and brown sugar in a saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil to dissolve salt and sugar. Set aside to cool. When cooled, put bird in a large, clean bucket or tub. Combine cooled brine with 1 gallon of cold water and pour over bird in bucket or tub. Add ice and water to completely cover bird. Put on lid, or cover with plastic wrap. Let brine overnight, or for a turkey even 2 days, adding more ice as needed to keep cold. When ready to cook, remove bird from brine and rinse. Turn bird so the back bone is up. Using kitchen shears and a very sharp knife, cut out the backbone. Start cutting up one side between the breast and backbone, then cut down the opposite side. Add the backbone to the innards to make broth or to freeze for later. Flatten out bird, and season with freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper liberally. Turn bird breast side up, Slice butter into slices and place slices under skin around legs, thighs, and breast. Again, season liberally with freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Meanwhile heat grill. If you have a large grill with 3 or 4 burners, heat the two outside burners on high to 500 F. Put bird on a rack, breast side down, and place on a pan to hold drippings and place in center of the grill. If your grill is smaller, heat both burners to 500F. Put bird on grill in the middle of grill and cook 20-30 minutes until breast is browned. Turn bird breast side up and put back in center of grill. If your grill is a two burner turn down heat to 350F. Grill bird until instant thermometer registers 165F in thickest part of bird.