Firemen's Chicken Barbecue Sauce
Conservation Club, Angelica NY, Fireman's BBQ

This is the famous sauce created at Cornell University's Farm Home Extension in the 1950's by Dr. Robert Baker, a professor at New York's Cornell University. We call it Firemen's Chicken because this is what the firemen in Angelica, NY used for their chicken barbecues they hosted to raise money for the Fire Department. Dr. Baker's original recipe used a barbecue pit with the chicken cooked on racks, several feet away from the coals, so that the chicken cooked relatively slowly. This is the way it was cooked at the Fireman's barbecues. They also steamed clams and I remember getting cups of the clam juice to drink.

It is our go-to recipe for grilling chicken. Excellent with cucumber salad and roasted corn on the cob.

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. salt
pinch pepper

Beat all ingredients together. Marinade chicken or other poultry in the sauce for a few hours or over night, the longer the better. You want to give the sauce time to flavor and tenderize the meat.

Grill, basting often with the sauce, until the meat juices run clear and the skin is nicely browned.

To use the remaining marinade as a sauce to serve on the side, bring to a boil (to kill any bacteria), whisking so the egg does not scramble. Serve warm.

This recipe makes enough sauce to marinade and baste one whole chicken.