Glazed Roasted "Beer Can" Chicken

Serves : 4-6

Comments: This recipe is a modified version of one from Cook's Illustrated. It gives you a delicious glazed chicken with a crispy skin. In place of the can of beer you can use a vertical roaster. If you can't find apricot-chipotle jam, just use regular apricot jam and spicy barbecue sauce

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken (6 to 7 pounds), giblets removed and discarded
  • 5 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (16 ounce) can of beer (see comments above)
  • 1/3 cup apricot-chipotle jam (see note above)
  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions:

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Score the skin a few times on both the breast and back, and then stick fingers under the chicken skin to loosen from body.

Combine the salt, baking powder, and black pepper in small bowl. Sprinkle the salt mixture evenly over the chicken, and then rub the mixture in with your hands. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

Open the beer can and pour out (or drink) half the liquid. (Alternately, fill the vertical roaster with beer or broth.) Spray the can lightly with nonstick cooking spray and then place it in the middle of a roasting pan. Slide the chicken over the can so that the chicken stands upright. Place the chicken in the oven and roast until the skin starts to turn golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 140 degrees (about 75 to 90 minutes roasting time). Remove the roasting pan from the oven and increase the temperature to 500 degrees.

When the oven has heated to 500 degrees, place 1 1/2 cups of water in the bottom of the roasting pan and return it to the oven. Roast until the entire chicken is browned and crisp, and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees in the thickest part of the breast and 175 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh (about 24 to 30 minutes roasting time).
Mix together the apricot-chipotle jam and the barbecue sauce. Brush about half the mixture over the chicken, and roast the chicken until browned and sticky, about 5 minutes more.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest 20 minutes before transferring to carving board and serving. If desired, strain the pan juices and whisk them into the remaining jam-barbecue sauce mixture. Serve chicken with the remaining sauce.