JUICIEST EVER CHICKEN

Discover the secret to succulent roast chicken using Tom’s foolproof brining method, plus a canny bit of kit photographs ISSY CROKER

I’ve roasted more than a few chickens in my time, and I can tell you that the key to hitting that sweet spot of crispy skin and succulent meat is brining. You might think that giving a chicken a bath in salty water is more effort than it’s worth, but I urge you to give it a go. Some chemical magic happens in that water – the salt in the brine penetrates the meat while locking in moisture, and results in a juicy, flavourful bird. You can add flavourings to the brine for added oomph, too. I’ve chosen bay, mustard seeds, peppercorns and lemon. Another clever trick is to cook your chicken perched on a non-alcoholic beer can. I know this might look like a gimmick, but there’s method in the madness. The non-alcoholic beer can is essentially a trivet that holds the chicken upright to ensure it cooks evenly, and the nonalcoholic beer gently steams it from the inside. The added bonus is crispy skin all the way round.

Non-alcoholic beer can chicken

SERVES 4-6 PREP 15 mins plus at least 16 hrs chilling, brining and drying COOK 1 hr-1 hr 20 mins

MORE EFFORT

1 large chicken (about 2kg)

440ml can non-alcoholic beer (gluten-free, if needed)

For the brine

300g salt

150g caster sugar

4 bay leaves

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

2 unwaxed lemons, sliced

For the rub

50ml olive oil

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp ground cumin

1 Put all the brine ingredients, except the lemons, in a large saucepan with 3.5 litres water. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Transfer to a bowl or container that will fit the liquid and the chicken, add the lemon slices and leave to cool completely. Cover and chill for at least 2-3 hrs.

2 Put the chicken in the brine, making sure it’s fully submerged. Cover and chill overnight (about 8 hrs, but no more than 12 hrs or the chicken will become too salty).

3 The next day, lift the chicken out of the brine and pat dry using plenty of kitchen paper. Put on a rack in a large roasting tin and chill, uncovered, for another 6-8 hrs to dry out the skin so it crisps up in the oven. Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 mins before cooking.

4 Adjust the shelving in your oven to ensure you can fit the chicken inside, stood up, on a tray. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the rub ingredients together in a bowl along with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Rub all over the chicken. Pour half the nonalcoholic beer from the can into a jug, then put the half-full can in the middle of a deep baking tray. Sit the chicken on top of the can so that it slots inside the cavity of the chicken.

5 Carefully transfer the chicken to the oven and cook for 1 hr-1 hr 20 mins, checking every 15 mins to ensure it hasn’t toppled over. If it has, remove from the oven, refill the can with the reserved non-alcoholic beer, reposition the chicken and put back in the oven. The chicken is cooked when a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh area near the breast (not touching the bone) is 70C, or the juices run clear when the same area is pierced with a skewer. If it’s not fully cooked, roast for another 10 mins, then check again. Lift the chicken from the can, cover loosely with foil, and rest in a warm place for 10 mins, then serve.

GOOD TO KNOW gluten free PER SERVING (6) 581 kcals • fat 36g • saturates 9g • carbs 8g • sugars 7g • fibre 0.2g • protein 57g • salt 4.7g

5 More Ideas

 Fire up the BBQ non-alcoholic beer-can chicken works a treat on the BBQ – just make sure it’s deep enough to hold the chicken with the lid on before you heat it up.

 Mix up the flavourings

Replace the rub with a jerk spice blend. It works well with the flavour of the nonalcoholic beer.

 Non-alcoholic beer-can chicken & slaw sandwich Shred any leftover chicken and serve between 2 thick slices of tiger bread and some mustardy slaw

 Ditch the nonalcoholic beer can

If you can’t fit the beer can and chicken in the oven or BBQ, you can roast the brined chicken on a baking tray, or spatchcock it and cook on the BBQ. You can learn how to spatchcock a chicken at bbcgoodfoodme.com.

 Brine your turkey

You can use a similar method to prepare turkey – find foolproof recipes online at bbcgoodfoodme.com