Hanging chicken

I first used this method of cooking chicken for the kykNET show Bravo!. It requires time and patience, but the result speaks for itself.

SERVES 4-6

> 1 m x 40 cm chicken wire

> roll of wire, 1 mm thick

> wood or charcoal for braaiing

> 1 whole chicken

> 115 g (125 ml) butter, softened

> 1 handful of soft herbs such as thyme, parsley or sage (or a combination), chopped

> juice and zest of 1 lemon

> salt and freshly ground black pepper

> 500 g packet of baby potatoes

First, roll the chicken wire into a cylinder with a height of 40 cm and a diameter of 30 cm. Secure the loose ends with wire – it doesn’t have to be perfect. Place the cylinder upright in the centre of your fireplace. Build your fire in the wire column. While the fire is burning, loosen the skin on breast of the chicken by pushing your fingertips in between the skin and the meat and wriggling them carefully. Mix butter, herbs, and lemon juice and zest. Spread butter mixture under chicken skin. Tie some wire around the centre, neck and back of the bird – you are basically tying it up with wire. Season chicken well with salt and pepper. Place an ovenproof dish in your fireplace, right next to the wire cylinder containing your fire, and place the potatoes in the dish. Using a length of wire to hang the bird in your fireplace, about 15 cm from the column with the fire and coals, above the dish with the potatoes (see our photo). Allow the chicken to braai slowly for 2 hours. Fill the wire column with fresh coals from time to time and turn the chicken regularly so that it cooks evenly all around – the wire tied around the chicken means you have many spots to hang it from to ensure every side gets a turn. Once chicken is cooked and evenly browned, take it down and serve with the potatoes and a salad of your choice.