Beer Can Chicken

Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi! A chicken roasted on the barbeque with beer- does it get any more Australian than that! After reading a recipe in the latest edition of ABC Delicious I decided to give it my take, with a Steve influence. First I brined a 2.5kg free range chicken overnight in the following solution- 100g salt, 100g sugar and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika dissolved in 1 cup warm water then topped up to 2 litres of cool water from the tap. Put the chicken in the brine in a deep saucepan then top up with cold water to cover, cover with a lid and refrigerate overnight. The next day I drained the bird in a colander for an hour to dry out and bring closer to room temp. I lit the BBQ and spread a layer of charcoal to light over the grill side, but you can leave that step out in need. It's important your BBQ has a hood if not I'm sure your oven will do. Next the can of beer- I chose a 500ml can due to the large bird. I drained about 1/4 of the beer and stuffed into the can half a sliced lemon, fresh thyme, sage and oregano from the garden. I placed the can on a foil lined tray, and standing the chicken upright slid it onto the beer can filling the cavity. I basted it with half a cup of tomato sauce (see recipe a few days back) and roasted on the bbq under the hood for 2 hrs at approx 180 degrees. We used heat from the charcoal for most of that but had to boost it with the gas burner towards the end. Cover with foil and rest for 30 mins before carving to serve. Happy Australia Day!