Many people have been asking me for a beer can chicken recipe. I have roasted chickens in a vertical roasting pan, but have just used water or fruit juice, so I can’t personally vouch for this but it does sound yummy! This recipe is based on one from allrecipes.com and is for a 4 pound whole chicken. That’s more the size of commercial roasters, not ours which get bigger in their extra few weeks of life, strolling around the meadow. I would think the timing could be adjusted by using the roasting chart in the Roast Chicken recipe. A good test for doneness is to poke a sharp knife into the thigh – the chicken is done when the juices run clear. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the chicken should be 180 degrees F. when taken in the meatiest part of the thigh.

Ingredients:

One 4 pound whole chicken.

1 tbsp. salt, or to taste.

1 tsp. pepper, or to taste.

1 lime, halved.

½ (12 fluid ounce) can beer.

1 C. water.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove neck and giblets and season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from the lime over the whole chicken, then place the halves into the cavity of the chicken. Set the half full beer can in the centre of a roasting pan or baking dish, and place the chicken over it in an upright position with the beer can inserted into the cavity. Pour water into the bottom of the pan. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil, and place roasting pan and all into the oven. Roast the chicken for about 1 ½ hours in the preheated oven, (see roasting chart on previous page for roasting time for bigger birds) removing foil during the last 20 minutes. Baste occasionally with the drippings. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before serving.