Beer Can Chicken with Gravy

The fun bit with this recipe is that by choosing a rub and a matching beer, you can go to any country you like. I went for jerk paste and Red Stripe on this occasion (because I’m a bit obsessed with jerk) but there are lots of combinations you can try. If the beer you want to use doesn’t come in a can, just save and wash an empty one that you can pour it in to. There are some good pre-made rubs and pastes in the shops, or you can experiment with your own versions – if you’re thinking of something specific please feel free to ask us and we’ll help you make it! Here are my flavour suggestions:

• Budweiser with BBQ, chips, corn on the cob, coleslaw
• San Miguel with lemon/paprika/garlic, patatas bravas, rocket salad, garlic mayo
• Cobra with Tandoori, fluffy basmati rice, chickpea and spinach curry
• Efes with lemon and oregano, toasted pitta breads, houmous, mixed salad
• Carling with salt and pepper, crusty bread rolls, gravy for dipping!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium chicken
• Paste or rub of your choice
• 1 can beer
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of flour

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees (Gas Mark 6). Remove your oven racks, leaving one at the lowest point to give the chicken room to stand up!
• Open the can of beer and pour half in to a glass (or down the sink if you’re weird).
• Place the chicken neck side up on top of the can – it should fit nicely in to the cavity.

• Cover the chicken with your choice of rub/paste.
• Drizzle a little olive oil over the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
• CAREFULLY transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour, basting a couple of times during cooking. (To baste, simply spoon the juices from the bottom of the tray over the chicken, helping to make the skin crispy and seal in flavour).
• After an hour, CAREFULLY take the chicken out of the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

• To serve, I found it was best to take off the legs and wings first by slicing the skin with a knife then using tongs to pull off the joints. Put them on a serving plate and cover with foil.
• Taking the can out of the chicken can be tricky, so I gently tipped over the chicken in the tray and removed the can while it was lay flat.
• Transfer the rest of the chicken to the serving plate and cover with foil.

For the gravy:

• Once you’ve managed to remove the can from the chicken, pour the beer in to the roasting tin.
• Using your largest ring on your hob, heat up the roasting tin on the stove, allowing the beer to ‘deglaze’ the flavours from the roasting tin. Add a little bit of water or some extra beer if you don’t think there’s enough liquid.
• Add a tablespoon of flour and use a whisk to combine with the liquids. It might look lumpy but keep whisking!

• Once it’s starting to thicken, taste and adjust seasoning if required. I like to add a little bit of lemon juice to most gravies, but it’s optional here.
• Take off the heat and transfer to a jug for pouring, or a bowl for dipping!

As Jason had gone out with his friends, I kept it simple and served my jerk beer can chicken with a hot pitta, salad and lots of the spicy gravy poured over the top. Heaven.