Beer chicken braaied brilliantly
On a glorious day in the Mother City a few weeks ago, we made this juicy dish. You can use a half empty beer can on which you’ll need to squat your chicken, or use the simpler and sturdier option of the Weber Poultry Roaster. This has an integrated infuser that creates a flow of aromatic steam that will help roast your bird to perfection.
Ingredients:
One chicken (preferably free range or organic)
1 tsp smoked paprika
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Bottle of beer. We used a bottle of Steph Weiss from Brewers & Union.
Method:
1. Approximately 30 minutes before cooking, rub your chicken with smoked paprika, a good few glugs of olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Prepare your Weber for indirect cooking over a medium heat. Learn how to prepare your braai for indirect cooking.
3. Take your beer and fill the base cup of the Weber Poultry Roaster. You don’t have to use beer – try wine, stock, spices or any liquid that you think will add an interesting twist to your chicken.
4. Place the infuser over the base cup and perch the bird on top. The chicken should feel sturdy.
5. Once your braai is hot and ready, place the infusion cap in the neck cavity and set the poultry roaster on the cooking grate in the centre of your Weber. If you are using a beer can, remember to place a drip tray at the bottom of your Weber.
6. Close the lid of your Weber and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes. Work on 20 minutes per 450g plus an extra 15 minutes.
7. Remove your chicken from the Weber and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Wave goodbye to dried out chicken. Once you’ve mastered the basics you can experiment to your heart’s content. Try using different rubs and marinades or different liquids. You could also smoke the chicken using wood chips for some extra pizazz.
Buy the Weber Poultry Roaster
Learn how to light the perfect fire in your Weber
Find out more: Weber basics: direct cooking vs indirect
View the full Weber range on Yuppiechef.co.za
Recipes and styling by Jules Mercer
