Day 15 - Beer Can Chicken, Smashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Mmmmm!  I'm so happy we finally made it!

My mom and I started off the day right - with a 1/4 cup of oatmeal and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Then we went shopping for wedding dresses and we kind of lost track of time.  Suddenly it was 4:30 p.m. and we hadn't eaten anything else.  And after all that shopping we were too hungry to even think of taking time to make a proper dinner.

We called R to see what he felt like.  Secretly I hoped he suggested we go to the local pub for dinner.  But he didn't.  So I decided we should stop at Bridgehead on our way home to split a cheddar and tomato sandwich to hold us off for dinner.

It did the trick!  When we got home I started making dinner right away.  We already had everything we needed, I just needed to find the best guide for cooking the bird.

The recipe I decided on is below but, as usual, I did not follow it to a T.  So I'll tell you what I did.

I washed the chicken (there were no giblets inside) and then rubbed it with some oil, salt and pepper.  Then I lifted the skin from the body and put some Montreal Chicken Spice underneat the skin as well.

I have a special beer can chicken holder which I got at Canadian Tire for about $10.

I washed a can of Heineken and put it in the holder (after opening it, of course).  I poured a bit of beer in the bottom and put in slices of onion.

I put the whole thing in the oven which was preheated to 350 degrees and set the timer for 90 minutes.

While that was cooking I cut up some potatoes and put them on to boil.  When they were done I decided to make "smashed" potatoes (skins on).  I chopped up some garlic and tossed it in with butter and milk and mixed it all together.  When it was done I put a plate over the pot to keep it warm.  

Just before the chicken was done I put on some water to boil the green beans.  

The chicken looked deee-licious!  I even made gravy with the drippings under the beer can while somebody else was carving the chicken. 

Voila!  Dinner!  

The chicken was unbelievably moist!!!  You should definitely try it!

Again... I'm very happy we decided to take the time and make dinner!  I got to show my mom that I know my way around the kitchen and we had a great meal admittedly in front of the TV while watching the hockey game.

Tomorrow it's the Bridal Show... and then who knows what we'll eat!

Beer Can Chicken

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub
1 can beer

For the rub:
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

To make the rub:
In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients. 

Chicken:
Remove the neck and giblets from chicken and discard them. Rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper and the dry rub mix. Set aside.

Open beer can and empty out half of the beer. Place the beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, place the bird cavity over the beer can. Straighten it out so it is solidly in place. 

Oven Baking Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Carefully place the bird and beer can on a baking pan or roaster that is deep enough to catch all of the juices. Bake chicken for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until juices run clear as indicated above.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.