Beer Can Roasted Chicken

I was at the library with my youngest daughter and came across this recipe...It is from the Food Network Magazine.  I started to read about it and got this funny visual of a beer can being place in the cavity of a chicken.  I chuckled as I was photocopying the recipe and thought...I have to make this!

So this recipe roasts a chicken over a beer can...well I like new and different recipes and this is certainly different!

Here is what you'll need:

• 5  - 6 pound whole chicken
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 can stout (i used Murphy's stout)
• 1 small bunch of Thyme
• 1 - 2 cans chicken broth
• 1 tbsp Flour

In a small bowl combine the butter, garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, a bunch of thyme leaves removed from the stalk.  

***To remove the leaves from the stalk of the Thyme, just run your two fingers along the stalk in the opposite way the leaves have grown ***

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.  Now rub the chicken with the butter, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper mixture.

Now take the can of stout and empty half of it into a large roasting pan or Dutch Oven along with 1 - 2 cans of chicken stock.

(make sure to leave at least half of the beer in the can this is what helps the chicken become so moist) 

Now poke holes into the top of the beer can and insert a few stems of the thyme.

Look at the love affair the chicken is having with the beer...I think it was love at first sight...

Now take the can and insert it into the cavity of the chicken... This can be a little tricky but I have faith in you, you can do it!

Notice how the chickens legs are acting as tripods to help balance the chicken on the can...pretty neat huh?

Now place the chicken in a preheated 450 degree oven. 

**Make sure you remove all the racks from the oven except the bottom one**

Roast for about 35 minutes.

  Now baste the chicken with the liquids that are in the bottom of the pot.

Rotate the chicken.  So if you placed the chicken into the oven breast first, this time place it back in the oven the other way.

This will help for even browning!

Put back in the oven for another 35 to 55 minutes.  Baste again!  

Your chicken will be done when your thermometer reads 165 degrees in the thigh.

Take out of the oven and let sit for at least 10  minutes

Look at that!  A dancing chicken! 

Okay so my jokes are cheesy...but when do i get to goof around about a chicken!

Now drain the juices from the bottom of the pan and place in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer.  

Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper as well as 1 tbsp flour.  Whisk together until the broth thickens.  

You will have a nice thick gravy made from chicken drippings, beer and chicken broth..YUM!

Now you can slice the chicken and serve with this delicious gravy!!

I served this with egg noodles,Home Made Challah and Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate seeds 

(that recipe will be posted soon!)

This chicken was so juicy and you could really taste the beer and the thyme which was a perfect combination.

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