Biiirrrruhhh. Do you hear that sound? That's the sound of silence. That's the sound of all electrical appliances coming to a grinding halt. In my case, that was the sound that greeted me early in the morning as my ceiling fan shut off. We had experienced a heavy rainfall the night before, which resulted in an unfortunate power outage. To make matters worse, we were expecting over twenty guests later that evening to celebrate Father's Day.
Cassie and I immediately started whatever prep work we could do in anticipation of our Father's Day feast. The menu included roasted bell peppers, eggplant with mint and feta cheese, potatoes with rosemary and garlic, hot tomatoes, lemon grilled salmon, and roasted chicken. While Cassie nervously watched the clock, I for some reason had blind faith that the electricity would turn on at some point and all would be well. My confidence was further buoyed by the fact that most of my cooking would take place on the outdoor grill.
Since I couldn't use the electric oven, I was forced to improvise and roast my chicken using my Weber grill. In order to do that, I bought a six-pack of beer to make beer can chicken. What is beer can chicken? It is quite simply one of the most entertaining ways to roast chicken. A half-filled can of beer is lovingly and gently placed into the cavity of a four pound chicken. The can, along with the extended chicken legs, serve as a tripod so the bird can be roasted vertically under indirect heat.
I know what you may be thinking. I served beer can chicken to my kids? Yes. Yes, I did. The beer itself never reaches a boiling point, so it doesn't contribute any alcohol flavor to the chicken. In fact, after I had finished roasting the chicken for two hours, the can of beer was full of liquid--a mixture of the retained beer, juices, and fat from the bird. Try making beer can chicken this Independence Day. Your kids will love seeing the bird standing up on its legs. Even better, they'll love the way this chicken tastes. Happy Fourth of July!
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