GUEST RECIPE SUNDAY! Waxing Nostalgic for Barbecued Chicken

I don't know these people, but I bet they were eating chicken!

Next to my mother, no one has influenced my life like my Aunt, Donna Dailey Silverberg.  The only remotely athletic thing I did in high school was an awkward attempt at dance class that ended in a dreadful, beglittered, leg warmer-adorned Flashdance-mimicking recital that was decidedly not sexy.  When I was 19, Aunt Donna, being a marathon runner, sent me the The Complete Book of Running which launched me into what became a way of life.  Then, when I was first married, she started sending me cookbooks.  Some, such as The Frog Commissary Cookbook and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest I use to this day.  She and my mother were great cooks that instilled in me the love of cooking from scratch.  She is not only a fabulous cook, but still a competition runner and amazingly talented in many areas.  She could probably knit you a Mercedes.

Aunt Donna submitted this recipe for Barbecued Chicken because it evoked powerful memories (it's also great for your Labor Day picnic!).  As she relayed it to me, it was the only way my Grandparents would grill chicken, and it reminded her of church barbecues she attended as a child.  She also remembered sharing it with my mother and grandmother at a NY interstate rest stop when she was traveling from Binghamton to New London (where we lived) to work.  It must have been 1973, I remember thinking then that she was cool, and I still do.

This is very easy, old school chicken and it is really good.  For such a simple recipe, it packs a lot of great taste.  When I made it, it brought back memories of childhood Summers and backyard barbecues when my own mother used to make chicken this way.  I will definitely be making it again soon.  Who knows? Maybe it will take you back.

That's Donna on the right

Barbecued Chicken

1 cup vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon Old Bay or Poultry Seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken, either boneless or bone-in breasts.


Mix vinegar, oil, egg and seasonings in a blender until thoroughly combined.  If you are using bone-in chicken,  par-boil it for 20 minutes.   Place chicken in a Ziploc bag with marinade and let sit in refrigerator for 3 hours - overnight.  Grill until the juices run clear, about 10-20 minutes.