BEER-BRINED BBQ CHICKEN

70 MINS plus chilling time

SERVES 4-6

This American-style barbecue chicken is outrageously good. It’s my guess that you’ll never barbecue a chicken any other way again. Buy a meat thermometer – they are inexpensive and will give you rock-solid assurance when the meat is ready to serve.

— 50g coarse salt

— 50g caster sugar — about 660ml light beer, such as lager

— 1 whole chicken (about 1.5kg)

— 1 tbsp sweet or hot paprika, as you like

— 1 tbsp mustard powder — 1-2 tsp chilli powder (chipotle, if you have it) — 1 tsp ground cumin — 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

— 2 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce

— 200g mayonnaise — 100ml cider vinegar — 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

— 1 garlic clove, crushed — 1 tsp caster sugar

— 1 tbsp Dijon mustard — 1 tbsp miso (optional)

To serve

— ½-1 hispi cabbage, cored, leaves thinly sliced — ½ small bunch of flatleaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped

— good bread

Pour 100ml of warm water into a large bowl. Add the salt and sugar and allow to dissolve. Add the beer and top up with 900ml of cold water. Place the chicken in the brine, adding more cold water if necessary to completely immerse the chicken. Refrigerate for at least two hours and up to 12 hours. Remove the chicken and discard the brine. Pat dry with paper towels.

To spatchcock the chicken, place it on a large baking sheet, breast-side downward (this helps to keep things orderly). Using sharp kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of the backbone. Remove the backbone and flip the chicken over so that the breast side is now upward. Press down firmly to flatten the chicken. If you have time, refrigerate, uncovered, for another hour to further dry out the chicken (this will help to get crisper skin).

Combine the paprika, mustard powder, chilli powder, cumin and black pepper in a bowl to make the spice rub. Rub this all over the chicken, then rub in the olive oil.

To cook the chicken, heat the grill or barbecue for indirect heat. If you’re using a gas grill this means turning off the centre burner and reducing the side burners to medium. If you’re using charcoal, place the coals to heat up on one side of the grill. Place the chicken, breast-side upward, on the indirect heat. Cook for about 45–50 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until the juices run clear on the thickest part of the thigh and the chicken is cooked through (the internal temperature should read 70C on a meat thermometer).

While the chicken is cooking, mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together and season with salt. Divide the sauce equally between two bowls. After 20 minutes of the cooking time, begin to baste the chicken using one of the portions of sauce. Do so every 10 minutes.

Once the chicken is cooked through, move it to cook over direct heat, breast-side downward, for about five minutes, until the skin is charred and crisped. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest on a serving plate for 10 minutes.

Carve the chicken and serve with the remaining sauce, along with the sliced cabbage and parsley, and good bread on the side.

To cook in an oven

Heat the oven to 190C/ 170C fan/gas mark 5. Roast the chicken, skin-side up, basting often with sauce, for 60-75 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear when skewered in the thickest part of the leg (the internal temperature should read 70C on a meat thermometer). Rest for 10 minutes before carving.

For the chicken For the spice rub