Smokey Mountain Breakdown

As you know…I’m a big fan of grilled, smoked and barbecued meats. I have a few very select preparations, one of which I’m going to share with you today.

The history of the Wilderness Chicken Marinade began on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia where my grandparents ran an Episcopal summer camp called Camp Reese. They used to grill chicken in an open pit dug on the beach and the campers would enjoy it there by the surf.

I’m not exactly sure if the Marinade was developed for the ocean side barbecues or if it was developed afterwards to duplicate the taste of chicken grilled over an open pit fire for the back porch grill. Either way…it really gives chicken the flavor of campfire roasted chicken.

This chicken was a weekend tradition at my home when I was growing up. I would sometimes be given the task of holding the water spray bottle to damp down the flames. The chicken always comes out a bit blackened and that it part of the recipe.

I didn’t actually use the marinade on the photos of the chicken I’m showing here. I grilled that out over my fire pit on my birthday. But it tastes and looks exactly like the Wilderness Chicken, complete with the smoke blackened skin.

Wilderness Chicken Marinade


7 parts peanut oil
1 part vinegar
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash Liquid Smoke
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
juice of one lemon

Combine all ingredients and marinade chicken parts overnight. Cook over charcoal turning frequently. Keep a spray bottle handy to damp down the flames.

The Altar at Camp Reese