“I’ve never seen this done in Britain, but it’s a really fun and effective way to cook chicken. I’m giving you two methods, one in the barbecue and one in the oven – both will give you tasty chicken. The steam from the beer cooks the inside of the bird, so the meat ends up lovely and juicy. ”
Ingredients
- 1 x 1.5 kg whole free-range chicken
- 1 x 473 ml can of lager
- RUB
- 1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon mild chilli powder
- olive oil
Method
- Preheat the barbecue, or oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Take your chicken out of the fridge while you make the rub.
- In a pestle and mortar, bash up the fennel and cumin seeds and mix with the paprika, brown sugar, chilli powder, and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons of oil until you get a paste, then drizzle all over the chicken, inside and out, using your hands to make sure you get it into all the nooks and crannies.
- Crack open the beer, have a couple of good swigs so your can is just about half full, then lower the chicken’s cavity on to the top of the can so it looks as though the chicken is sitting on the can.
- If you’re using the barbecue, try to strategically move a small amount of coals to the sides rather than directly underneath the chicken, so the heat radiates around it and cooks it from all angles rather than grills it.
- Carefully sit the chicken on the bars of the barbecue or in a roasting tray on the very bottom of the oven. Cook for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the meat pulls away from the bone and the juices run clear. If this isn’t the case (all barbecues and ovens are slightly different) just cook for a bit longer.
- Once done, carefully remove the can and loosely cover the chicken with foil and a tea towel while you get some grilled veg, salad or warm breads together – but trust me, it tastes so good you won’t need much else.
Tips
You need a standard kettle-style barbecue with a lid and a thermometer. Make sure it’s tall enough to hold the upright chicken.
Source: Jamie Oliver
