[two_third] Cooking the perfect roast chicken has become something of a lifelong obsession of mine. I’ve tried brining, slow roasting, deep frying, covering the bird in butter and shoving lemons in every orifice the carcass will allow – all with varying degrees of success. However, for the best results with minimal effort I have to say that my recipe for Beer Can Chicken with Red Stripe gravy is about as good as it gets.
Roasted upright using the can as a trivet, this method works so well because the tin for Jamacia’s most famous lager not only conducts the heat evenly throughout, but also steams the as its liquid inside evaporates steams the bird too.
Sounds good eh? To find out for yourself the just follow the steps below and you should end up with a Chicken with juicy flesh, a salty-yet-sweet and crispy skin with a unique gravy that is a sure fire way to brighten up the humble roast dinner.[/two_third] [one_third_last]Ingredients
One Whole Chicken
One Can of Red Stripe
One tbsp light cooking oil
3 tbsp salt
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp jerk seasoning
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1tbsp black pepper
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Method
1. The ChickenMake the rub: Mix the salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, jerk seasoning, grind pepper to taste and brown sugar together fully. Note – the exact proportions for the rub aren’t super important, if you like it hotter add more Cayenne and Jerk. If you’re watching your salt intake take a spoon out. Keep tasting the rub as you go until it matches your own particular tastes.
2. Cover the Chicken thoroughly with the rub: Rub the chicken with a little light cooking oil, then cover the skin of the bird completely in the rub mix and season cavity with a couple of teaspoons worth. Don’t worry if you have a little left over rub, it’s very useful as a seasoning for roast potatoes or for any other meats.
3. Open the Red Stripe and insert into the cavity of the chicken: Next, open the can of red stripe and pour about an inch worth of beer into a glass (call it a chef’s treat) and add a couple of spoons worth into the can (be careful if you add too much it will explode like adding Mentos to Cola). Then – as unceremoniously as possible and ideally whilst spouting a crass joke – shove the can right up the bum of the chook and place cook upright into a preheated oven at 190°C (make sure you prepare the shelves beforehand as the bird cooks upright and be careful not to knock over the whole thing as you put into the oven – although just quickly correct it if you do).
4. Set aside to rest: Allow about 45minutes to an hour to cook the chicken (this will vary due to oven and size of bird) and then carefully (as the can will still have a lot of hot liquid) remove the can using some heat proof tongs (this is a two person operation), cover the chicken with foil and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes.
The Gravy
1. Pour the remaining contents of the Red Stripe onto the roasting tray and put onto a low heat on the hob.
2. Add about half a pint of boiling water, crumble in a stock cube, then some gravy granules (I know, I know but it’s a good way of thickening the gravy) and then scrape the cooking juice off the pan.
3. Stir until the gravy is your preferred thickness, pass through a fine sieve and then into a gravy boat.
Carve the chicken and then serve, just delicious.