Tandoori beer can chicken
This is one you are very unlikely to find at a curry house, but it was too good to leave out of the book. I’ve been making beer can chicken for many years and this Indianinspired version is one of my current favourites. You could also easily make this in a conventional oven.
Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes, plus marinating Cooking time 111⁄2 hours
100ml (scant 1⁄2 cup) rapeseed oil
440ml can of your favourite beer or lager 900g whole chicken
For the marinade
2 Tbsp garlic and ginger paste (see below) 1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1⁄2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 small bunch fresh coriander, blended with a little water salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Blend all of the marinade ingredients into a paste or pound them using a mortar and pestle. Slowly drizzle the rapeseed oil into the paste, whisking continuously until you have a smooth emulsion.
Cover the chicken inside and out with the marinade and allow to marinate for 8 hours or overnight. I carefully rub about half of the marinade under the skin but don’t worry if you can’t be bothered.
When ready to cook, set up your barbecue for indirect cooking (see below). Drink half the can of beer or lager and add 1 tsp of marinade from the chicken dish to it. The beer might foam up when you add
the marinade, but that isn’t a problem.
When your barbecue is good and hot you’re ready to cook. If you have a thermometer, aim for a cooking temperature of 190200degC. Place the chicken, standing on the beer can directly on the grill on the side with no coals. Cover and cook for about 111⁄4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when stuck with a knife in the thigh. You can’t be too careful with chicken so if you have a meat thermometer, check that your chicken is 82degC.
When cooked through, transfer to a serving plate and cover with foil to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Tip: You can also cook the chicken in the oven. Heat the oven to 230degC. Place the chicken on a rack over a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 200degC and continue to roast until cooked through and the juices run clear, about another 30 minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt to taste. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
Garlic and ginger paste: Garlic and ginger paste is so easy to make. Simply peel equal amounts of garlic and ginger and blend with just enough water to make a paste. If this sounds like a bit too much work, you can also buy it ready made at Asian grocers and most supermarkets. You can also substitute grated or finely chopped garlic and ginger for the blended paste. Some stores only stock garlic paste and ginger paste in separate jars. Just take equal amounts of both out and mix them to make garlic and ginger paste.
Preparing your barbecue for indirect cooking
This is the method to use for roasting. You will need a barbecue with a tightfitting lid. Fill your barbecue basin with about two shoeboxes full of charcoal on one side, leaving the other side empty. Tuck a few fire starters into the charcoal pile and light them. Let the charcoal heat up until white hot, then place the barbecue grill over the top. Place whatever it is you are roasting on the side with no coals and cover with the lid. If you are barbecuing in this way over an extended period of time, you will need to add a few handfuls of charcoal every half hour or so.