Beer Butt Chicken

Here is the second whole chicken recipe as promised. This is beer butt chicken! The picture does not do justice to how crispy and golden the skin on this chicken turned out, but cooking one this way makes for a fully browned and deliciously moist chicken.

Again, for those of you who have never prepared a chicken before, please check out this site for step by step preparation instructions: http://www.helpwithcooking.com/cooking-poultry/roast-chicken.html It is really important that you have that clean work surface and that you clean thoroughly once finished. I always prepare mine in the sink. I clean it well first, then ready the chicken. Once I put it in the crock pot or oven, I then go back and clean the sink again with a bacterial cleanser to be sure I have left no juices behind to contaminate something else.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. After you have prepared your chicken, stuff the seasoning of your choice under the skin. I used garlic on this one and some kosher salt. Open a cheap can of beer, drink 1/3 of the contents (or pour out that much) and then, in an oven proof deep skillet or roasting pan without the rack, slide your chicken onto the beer can and arrange the legs so that you have a tripod effect with the chicken standing up. Rub the skin with a little olive oil, and place in hot oven for 15 mins. Turn temperature to 350 degrees and cook an additional 1 3/4 hours, or about 20 minutes per pound total. That initial 425 degrees is to crisp up the outer skin a bit.

When chicken is done and juices are running clear, remove from the oven being careful not to tip the bird over. Allow chicken to sit for at least ten minutes to settle the juices. Then take either a pot holder or several layers of paper towels in one hand and heavy tongs in the over and while holding the bird with the tongs over the pan, pull the can out from the chicken. There will still be beer in the can so this is a bit messy. This is easiest if you have a helper, but you can do it yourself. If someone is helping me, I usually grab the bird and lift it up as someone pulls out the can.

Place chicken on serving platter and carve. I like to serve this with rice and a vegetable, and you can make a gravy from the drippings in the pan if you like. Use leftovers for sandwiches.

This is a tasty, moist chicken and fun to make. Kids especially like to see the chicken sitting up in the pan so be sure they see the fun!! Enjoy!!

Easy crock pot chicken!

Good morning readers! It's Thursday and this is recipe day. I would like to share two distinct ways in which to cook a whole chicken. Both are easy and result in a really great meal when paired with rice, stuffing or potatoes and a vegetable of some kind. This week I will start with the crock-pot chicken. For those of you who have never prepared a chicken before, please check out this site for step by step preparation instructions: http://www.helpwithcooking.com/cooking-poultry/roast-chicken.html  It is really important that you have that clean work surface and that you clean thoroughly once finished. I always prepare mine in the sink. I clean it well first, then ready the chicken. Once I put it in the crock pot or oven, I then go back and clean the sink again with a bacterial cleanser to be sure I have left no juices behind to contaminate something else.

For crock pot chicken, turn the crock pot on high and place the lid on while you prepare the chicken. After thoroughly preparing the chicken, I stuff salted crushed cloves of garlic under the skin in as many places as possible. I use anywhere from 6-10 cloves, cutting large cloves in half. I also tuck a sprig of fresh rosemary under the skin on each breast and over each side on the back. Look for the edges of the skin and gently pull it up; the garlic and rosemary will slide right in as far as you want it to go! This seasoning seeps into the whole chicken for really great flavor. I also put about a tsp of salt in the cavity of the chicken. I then place the whole chicken breast side down in the crock pot (if you have the crock pot bags, use one; they make clean up super easy). Leave the crock pot on high for the first thirty minutes and then turn to low. Allow to cook a total of 7 hours on low or I have left one as long as 10 hours if away for the day. If you are walking out the door as soon as you put it in the crock pot, it is fine to go ahead and turn the pot to low. I always start out on high to just be sure the crock pot is hot. You can cook the chicken on high if you prefer and it will be ready in four to five hours, but won't be quite as tender. Once the cooking is complete, I take the whole chicken out of the pot and place into a large bowl. Use a very large spatula or spoon to get up under the chicken and lift it out. Sometimes it falls apart in the process, so use a slotted spoon to fish the rest out of the juices. I then use a fork to remove all the meat from the bone, placing the meat in another bowl or platter for serving. The meat will literally just fall off the bones. Throw the bones back into the crock pot, put on the lid, and allow to cool. I usually leave mine overnight and the next morning, just lift the bag out and throw away, or when I don't have a bag, the remains will come out gelled together for easy cleanup. Refrigerate the leftover chicken and use the rest for another meal or for really great sandwiches. I usually cook a chicken like this at least every other week and sometimes more often because it is so tasty and easy; it is also nice to have on hand for many other recipes that call for chicken. Enjoy!

Next week I'll share my other whole chicken recipe. I hope you enjoy this one. For busy parents, this one is the best because it takes little time and can go for so many purposes. Cooking is about creating community. Bring your family together at least three to four nights a week for a meal around the table with the television turned off. Research shows that children who eat as a family at least this many times a week perform better in school and have better relationships with others. Choose happiness!