Lun 15 Nov 2004, 1:18 pm
Beer 1F90: the drunken chicken
Please don't let the title fool you. As fun as it would to be to watch a chicken stagger about the barn yard in an alcoholic haze, pick a fight with a sheep and a trash-talking horse, the chicken is already dead and cannot be intoxicated. However, the lucky cook can drink as much as he likes. Here's a tasty treat to complement our favourite beverage. First, it's a turkey, not a chicken and second, be careful, don't burn yourself.
The basic steps are as follows:
Open a can of beer. Insert the can in the bottom of the turkey, and cook on the barbeque.
The beer boils and evaporates the beer and keeps the turkey moist from the inside out. It also infuses the beer flavour into the turkey. It's a fairly simple recipe to follow. It just takes a bit of time.
Ingredients:
* one whole fresh turkey (8-10 lbs.) giblets and neck removed
* one bunch fresh thyme, chopped
* ½ cup white sugar
* ½ cup salt
* six cloves garlic, smashed
* six bottles Beer (pilsner or ale)
* ¼ cup vegetable oil
* ¼ cup barbecue seasoning
* one 950 ml Can of your favourite beer
* one metal pie plate or roasting pan or drip pan (to catch the turkey drippings)
Butter Beer barbeque basting sauce
* one cup melted butter
* one cup beer
* ½ cup barbecue sauce
Directions
Place the turkey in a bucket or container large enough to easily hold the bird.
Mix the thyme, sugar, salt, garlic, and five bottles of beer in a large pot. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Pour the mixture over the turkey, cover and marinate in the fridge for 24 - 36 hours. Remove turkey from the marinade, and pat dry with some paper towels. Open the 950 ml can. Take a drink from the can, to leave enough room so the can doesn't overflow. Place the turkey over the can, so that the chicken is standing upright on top of it. This can be a bit tricky to balance, so be careful. Combine the melted butter, ½ bottle of beer and barbecue sauce to baste the turkey with.
Preheat the BBQ to 400°F. Place the turkey on the grill. Close the grill lid and roast the turkey for 20 to 30 minutes or until the skin starts to turn golden brown.
Bring the heat down to 325°F and roast for 10-15 minutes per pound, until the turkey has an inside temperature of 170°F. Baste the turkey with the Butter Beer sauce throughout the roasting time. For an 8-10 pound bird the total cooking time should be about two and a half to three hours.
Remove from heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes.To remove the beer can, hold the beer can with a pair of tongs, and hold the turkey with a fork. This is the other tricky part of the process. After this, just enjoy some of the best turkey you've ever had.
Serves six to ten.
