Chicken on a can, beer can chicken... What on earth!
You can do endless things with barbecue, as we proved again with this fantastic 'chicken on a can' recipe, but what exactly does this term mean? You don’t have to look far, because it’s just what it is: chicken on a can. Chicken on a can? Yes, it’s possible! It’s a great way of giving your chicken delicious aromas and making it extra juicy! Initially, a can of beer was used for this purpose, with a chicken then slid over the opened can. Hence the synonym 'beer can chicken'. Today, there are numerous variations on the beer can chicken recipe. It’s also possible to experiment with liquids such as whisky, wine or even soft drinks like Fanta. I can already hear you thinking: whisky or wine are not served in cans, are they? We totally agree! That’s why Barbecook came up with an extra handy barbecue accessory: the Barbecook poultry roaster! You can fill this handy accessory with aromatics and drinks of your choice. The shape is similar to that of a can, so you can easily slide the rear end of your chicken over it!
Preparation of chicken with whisky, apple juice and hay on the BBQ
We use a Siesta 412 gas barbecue to prepare the chicken with whisky, apple juice and hay. In principle, it doesn’t matter which type of gas barbecue you use, but it’s nice to choose a big one in order to have extra space on your grid for preparing side dishes. In addition to a gas barbecue, Barbecook’s poultry roaster is of course an indispensable accessory for preparing this delicious chicken with whisky, apple juice and hay. Let's go!
Briefly (about 1 minute) fry all the herbs for the marinade in a non-stick pan. Put them in a mortar and grind finely. Mix the crushed herbs with olive oil. Soak the hay in a splash of whisky. Remove any intestines from the chicken and rinse the inside. Then season the inside with salt and pepper. Spoon in some lumps of butter. Stuff the soaked hay, rosemary and thyme sprigs into the chicken. Rub the outside with the marinade.
Light your gas barbecue and prepare for indirect heat of 180 to 200 °C.
Fill the can of the poultry roaster with apple juice, a dash of whisky, pepper corns, salt, thyme, bay leaf and rosemary. This mixture will ensure that your chicken stays juicy. It’s not easy to get both cooked and juicy results with ‘monsters’ like this chicken. So the liquid and the seasoning in the poultry roaster will avoid a dry result. Slide the rear end of the chicken over the Barbecook poultry roaster, your 'chicken on a can' is now ready to be placed on your gas barbecue.
Every 10 minutes, turn the chicken a quarter turn, so that it becomes nice and evenly crispy. After about an hour, your chicken with whisky, apple juice and hay is ready. Attention: the cooking time depends on the size and weight of the chicken. If necessary, check with a Barbecook thermometer to know when it’s best to remove the chicken. The breast should have a core temperature of 70 °C and the thigh a temperature of 85 °C.
End result: a nice crispy skin and deliciously juicy meat full of flavour!
Tip: you can put some potatoes and/or vegetables in the tray of your poultry roaster. This way, you have a delicious side dish with extra flavour, because the dripping aromatics end up in this tray!
