Beer Can Chicken with Carrot Apple Walnut Salad

Directions

Prepping the chicken

1. Combine the sage, paprika and onion powder in a small bowl with some salt, pepper, a tablespoon of olive oil and a squeeze from your halved lemon. Rub this mixture all over your chicken in a suitable bowl. Cover and send to the fridge for around 3hrs to marinate.



Roasting the chicken

2. Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius and pull your chicken out of the fridge; you want to give it about half an hour to get up to room temperature.


3. Crack open your beer of choice (stay away from too many hops and dark beers), pour yourself a small glass (you’ve earned it) but be sure to leave half in the can. Sit the rear cavity of the chicken over the can of beer and position it so that it can stand unassisted (effectively you’re forming a tripod out of the can and legs).


4. Cook in the oven for 30mins, or until you see the skin starting to golden.


5. Reduce the oven to 160 degrees and continue cooking for an hour, or until the skin looks completely golden and the flesh is suitably cooked.


6. Once done, pull the chicken out and let it rest for close to 30 mins.



Prepping the salad

7. Peel the carrot and cut into matchsticks. Slice the apple the same way but leave the peel on.


8. In a mixing bowl, combine the carrot, apple and walnuts (crush the nuts in your hand as you add them to break them up slightly). Make a dressing in a small bowl using a 2:1 ratio of olive oil and white wine vinegar (4 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp vinegar). Add salt, pepper and a short squeeze of lemon as well. Mix everything together.



Serving

9. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves, leaving them whole. Place one large leaf on each serving plate like a boat. Place your salad mix in the ‘boat’.


10. Remove the beer from the chicken (you can do this at the table for theatrics), then quarter, slice and serve..