Barbecue food for the kitchen

We have all come to understand that a typical Irish summer can be fairly unpredictable, and in turn many of us have come to appreciate a sunny day, when it comes along. It was unbelievable, this year, that temperatures in March reached an astonishing 24ºc. Once a few days of good weather is forecast it's only natural that most of us will retrieve, from the wardrobe, the box of dormant summer clothes and quickly start plans for beach visits and late evening barbecues. Once we change our attire from winter to summer, my father is always quick to remind us of what 'the old crowd' use to say, "Ne're cast a clout till May is out". This advise could of been well used this year, as how many of us have complained of the common winter cold over the Spring.  Back on the first day of the good weather my husband dragged the barbecue from the garage and gave it a really good clean, before sparking it up. As we sat down to our first al fresco meal of the year the promise of many more such dinners seemed a true possibility, as never before could I remember barbecuing so early in the year. Well two months later and the BBQ has reverted to its old familiar place, in the garage, and even the garden furniture had to join it, due to high winds. I really love to cook foods that benefit from the barbecue method of cooking, but due to our ever short barbecue season I've come to adapt some of my favourite barbecue recipes to work in the kitchen.  This Beer Can Chicken is a real favourite of ours, as the meat becomes deliciously moist and the result is what I'd describe as a very posh rotisserie chicken. It can be cooked on the barbecue, but I more often cook it in the oven. The beer not only adds moisture but also the yeast and malt reacts with the chicken, particularly the skin, making it crispy but still moist. I used a combination of spices that I like, but you can use whatever you have available or a ready made spice such as a cajun mix would also be perfect. You can serve your chicken with potatoes and veg but, for a taste of summer, I'd recommend you serve it alongside a few big bowls of salad, crusty bread and a chilled bottle of white wine. Beer Can Chicken Ingredients 1 tsp Mild Chili Powder 1 tsp Fennel Seeds 1 tsp Coriander seeds 1 tsp Smoked Paprika 1 tsp Ground Cumin 1 tsp Brown Sugar 3 tbs of Olive Oil 1 Can of Beer 1 Medium Chicken Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/ 350ºF/ gas mark 4. 2. Add all the spices into a pestle and mortar. Grind them all together. Add in the oil & sugar and mix into a paste. 3. Open the can of beer and pour half into a glass. Now take a tin opener and remove the top. Be careful. Or else just remove the ring pull. 4. Take your chicken and rub the spice mix all over it both inside and out. 5. Place the beer can in a baking tray and sit your chicken on top. 6. Place it in the preheated oven and cook until golden, for about 90 mins. 7. Carefully take the chicken out of the oven, place on a plate, cover with tin foil and let it sit for at least half an hour to allow all those lovely flavours to infuse. Enjoy! For more recipes visit NessasFamilyKitchen.blogspot.com