Baltimore-style Roasted Drunk Chicken

The premise behind this recipe is that the chicken stands up on a beer can while it cooks. The beer infuses the chicken with moisture and flavor and the chicken skin with get crispy all over because it's not sitting in any of the juices. To give the roasting chicken some added stability, I picked up a little roasting rack that holds that beer can on a stand at Target for about $4.


Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (4-6 pounds)
• 1 12oz can of beer (soda would be ok too)
• 1 Tbls kosher salt
• 1 Tbls Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 Tbls vegetable oil
• 1 bay leaf

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Drink about half the can of beer (using a full can of beer can make it overflow and create a mess. Put the can of beer in the roasting rack and place them both in your roasting pan (I used a large stainless steel skillet). Slide the bay leaf into the beer can.


Without ripping or removing the chicken skin, carefully separate the skin from the breast and legs using your fingers. Again using your fingers, rub the Old Bay Seasoning on the chicken breast and legs under the skin. Place the chicken on top of the beer can so that the can is inside the center cavity of the chicken. The legs should be pointed down.


Combine the vegetable oil with the kosher salt. Spread the mixture evenly over the entire chicken.

Roast the chicken for approximately 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. How long the chicken takes to cook with depend on the size of your chicken, how cold the chicken was when you started, how evenly your oven heats, and how often you open the oven door. Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of approximately 165 degrees. The most important thing to look for is that the juices from the chicken run clear.

Now you get to carve and enjoy.