Ingredients (serves 4):
- 2 corn cobs with husks attached
- 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
- 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 4 (about 200g each) single chicken breast fillets, trimmed
- 800g sweet potao
- 4 red onions
Method:
- Use a wire brush to scrub clean your barbecue plate and grill before using.
- Carefully peel back the husks from the corn cobs, leaving end attached.
- Remove and discard the silk. Pull the husks back up around the corn cobs to enclose and use unwaxed white string to secure.
- Place the corn cobs in a bowl or sink and cover with cold water. Soak for 15 minutes (this will help keep the corn moist during cooking and prevent the husks from burning).
- Meanwhile: preheat the barbecue grill and plate on high heat (this will take about 5-10 minutes for an electric or gas barbecue).
- Place 2 tbs of the oil and the lemon juice in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Season with pepper.
- Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and set aside until required.
- Chicken breasts are quite lean and can dry out while cooking. The lemon juice and oil mixture will help to keep the chicken moist.
- Cut the sweet potato into 1cm-thick wedges. It is important the pieces are of an even thickness to cook through evenly.
- Peel the onions, leaving the bases intact. Cut each onion lengthways into 2cm-wide wedges.
- Toss the sweet potato pieces with 3 tsp of the remaining oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Toss the onion wedges with the remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper. Lightly coating the vegetables with oil preventing them from sticking to the barbecue plate during cooking.
- Drain corn and place on preheated barbecue grill. Cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the barbecue plate heat to medium. Add the onions and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Add the sweet potato to the barbecue plate in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the barbecue grill heat to medium. Use a pair of long barbecue tongs to handle the chicken, as sharper implements will pierce the skin, allowing juices to escape.
- Drain the chicken and reserve the lemon mixture.
- Add the chicken to the barbecue grill and cook for 5 minutes.
- Brush the chicken with the remaining lemon mixture and use the tongs to turn over the chicken and pumpkin.
- Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a skewer at the thickest part. Cooking times vary depending on the type of barbecue and the intensity of the heat. So keep an eye on the vegetables and chicken, and remove them as soon as they are cooked.
- Set aside on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm until everything else is finished cooking.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside for 5 minutes to rest. This allows time for the chicken to finish cooking and the juices to settle, keeping the chicken tender and moist. Transfer the vegetables to a large plate.
- Remove the husks from the corn cobs and cut each cob in half crossways.
- Serve the barbecued chicken with the vegetables.
- When finished, increase the heat on the plate and grill to high. Leave the barbecue on for about 3 minutes to burn off any fat. Turn off the heat and use a metal spatula, scraper or brush to scrape away any food residue from the cooking surfaces.
- Once the barbecue cools, use paper towel to wipe the plate and grill with a little vegetable oil before storing.