The best roast chicken, ever!
This recipe requires preparation in advance!
I'm already completely sold on beercan chicken. It is without doubt, the best way I have found (so far) to roast a chicken. Anyway, following a little research, it seems that brining your bird before roasting, improves moisture retention and flavour. After all that preparation it would be a shame not to use the smoker as well!
This is my attempt at the best roast chicken, ever!
| The best roast chicken, ever! | |
|---|---|
 |
| Servings: | Serves 2 to 4 depending upon the size of the chicken |
| Calories per serving: | 131 |
| Ready in: | 2 days, 2 hours |
| Prep. time: | 2 days |
| Cook time: | 2 hours |
| Difficulty: | 
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| Recipe author: | Chef |
| First published: | 4th November 2012 |
|
Best recipe reviewPerfect chicken! 5/5 We even do this with our Christmas turkeys now! |
Ingredients
Printable 🖨 shopping 🛒 list & 👩🍳 method for this recipe
- Brine
- 6.5 litres (12 pints) of cold water
- 1 cup sea salt
- ½ cup demerara sugar
- 2 bay leaves, crumpled
- 1 small bunch of thyme or 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- 1 bulb of garlic, bruised with the top sliced off
- ½ teaspoon allspice powder
- 4 juniper berries, crushed
- Beercan chicken
- 1 chicken, Parsons nose & giblets removed.
- 1 bulb of garlic, skin on, top sliced off and smashed
- 1 355ml or 440 ml can of beer, lager or cider
- 1 preserved lemon
- 1 big sprig of parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Mise en place
- Mix the brine in a pot or container large enough to hold your bird.
- Stir until the sugar and salt dissolves
- Immerse the bird completely in the brine. Use a bowl or plate to hold it under the surface if it floats.
- Refrigerate in the brine for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, discard the brine, drain and pat the bird dry.
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Day 2, smoked for a couple of hours
-
Soak in flavoured brine for 24 hours
Method
- Smoking the bird
- Place the smashed garlic in the neck of the chicken and push to the breast meat so the cloves are between the skin and the meat.
- If you are luck enough to have a smoker, place the bird in the smoker for a few hours.
- Remove from the smoker and then cook immediately as it will have warmed up a fair bit now.
- Beercan chicken
- If you've made beercan chicken before you probably only need the following reminder, if not, follow this step by step guide for beer can chicken, (omitting the Tex-Mex rub).
- Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F - Gas 6)
- Wash the beercan and drink a third of it.
- Place the preserved lemon in the cavity with the parsley and sit the chicken on the beer can. A Grillpro Stainless Steel Chicken Roaster makes this job easier.
- Massage the olive oil into the chicken's skin.
- Roast for about 1 to 1.5 hours, checking every 15 minutes at the end.
- Rest for 10 minutes.
See also
- Can-can chicken
- The best roast chicken, ever!
- Tex-Mex beercan chicken
- Chinese beer can chicken
- Christmas beer can turkey
- Roasting a chicken on a beer can (Modernist Cuisine)
- Grillpro Stainless Steel Chicken Roaster
- Old India Taco Seasoning - a great rub!
- A comprehensive guide to roast meat cooking times - give the time you want to carve your roast and we'll give you a timed step-by-step roasting guide
- Our smoker recipe section
- Roast potatoes
- Roast vegetables
- Gravy recipes
- Perfect Yorkshire puddings
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