Beer Roasted Lime Chicken

[gategrrl]

Here's a recipe I bookmarked three years ago on Allrecipes (and wow, has the site grown since then!

• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 lime, halved
• 1/2 (12 fluid ounce) can beer
• 1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from the lime over the whole chicken, then place the halves into the cavity of the chicken. Set the half full beer can in the center of a roasting pan or baking dish, and place the chicken over it in an upright position with the beer inserted into the cavity. Pour water into the bottom of the pan. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil, and place roasting pan and all into the oven.
3. Roast the chicken for about 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, removing foil during the last 20 minutes. Baste occasionally with the drippings. When finished, the internal temperature of the chicken should be 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) when taken in the meatiest part of the thigh. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Apparently, other cooks have added lime juice to the beer in the can, and garlic cloves--2 seems to do it-- and some onion, too. And most of the commenters say they do NOT put foil over the chicken, saying they like crispy skin, and besides, the chicken still comes out plenty moist even on the outside.
It's gotten rave reviews. I think I might try it, but my oven is weird and I don't think it has the height to stand a roaster chicken in.

Comments

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

That sounds delicious.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

It does. I'm printing out a shopping list on All Recipes--you can do that there! and you can even print the recipe out in an index card format, if you want.

[mlevins.livejournal.com]

This is not that different from what I had planned for this weekend, since I often "roast" a chicken on the grill (indirect grilling with the coals pushed to each side and a drip pan under the chicken--luckily I have a "kettle" style grill so there is room to have the chicken in with the lid down). I think I'll add some lime juice to the marinade this time and see what happens. I use all the leftover chicken to make a big chicken-waldorf salad (heavy on the apples and celery, and using a light slaw dressing rather than mayo), so it should work well for the long holiday weekend

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Do you use one of those new fangled can-stand things I've seen around? If you don't, then how do make sure the chicken stays standing up?

[mlevins.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't do it standing up. I prick the skin all over and when I turn it after an hour I tip it up to drain anything in the cavity. I start with it breast side up and usually when I turn it for the last 1/2 hour I'll stick some pieces of foil on the wing tips and leg ends if they are getting too dark. I do put water in the drip pan I have underneath it, and sometimes I'll also throw a few sprigs of rosemary on the coals just as I start so there is aromatic smoke.