Hickory-Smoked Herb-Butter Beer-Can Chicken

Method

1. The day before, at home, pat the chicken completely dry. Mix the salt, baking powder, pepper and smoked paprika and rub it inside the cavity and all over the skin. Set the bird on a rack over a tray and refrigerate it uncovered for 12 h. Dry skin crisps, and the baking powder makes it even thinner and crunchier. For the trip, pack it in a lidded box in the cooler, below 4 °C.

   Add in this stepWhole chicken, giblets removed 1,400 gFine salt 2 tspBaking powder (aluminium-free) 1 tspCoarsely ground black pepper ½ tspSmoked paprika 1 tsp

2. Finely grate the yellow zest of the lemon and cut the fruit in half. Mash the soft butter with half the garlic, finely chopped, plus the thyme, rosemary and lemon zest. Slide your fingers gently under the skin of the breast and thighs to loosen it without tearing, push the butter underneath, then massage the skin from outside to spread it evenly.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter, softened 35 gGarlic cloves 1½Fresh thyme leaves 1 tspFresh rosemary, finely chopped 1 tspLemon ½

3. Light 45 briquettes in a chimney starter for 20 min, until covered in grey ash, then pile them on both sides of the grill with a drip pan holding 1 cm of water in the middle. Just before cooking, set 2 fist-sized hickory chunks on the coals, close the lid and settle the lid thermometer at 175 to 190 °C (charcoal (medium heat)). Thin, bluish smoke is what you want; if thick white smoke keeps pouring out, open the vents a little more.

   charcoal (medium heat)

4. Pour out about half the beer, punch 2 extra holes in the top and drop in the rest of the garlic, smashed. Lower the chicken onto the can, stand it on its legs like a tripod and plug the neck opening with the remaining lemon half; this keeps the steam inside so the meat stays juicier. Tuck the wing tips behind the back.

   Add in this stepCan of lager or amber ale (355 ml) 1Garlic cloves 1½Lemon ½

5. Stand the chicken on the grate over the drip pan, close the lid and cook over charcoal (medium heat) for 1 h. Keep the lid shut for the first 45 minutes and control the heat with the vents only. Move on when the skin is deep brown and the thigh reads 74 °C.

   charcoal (medium heat)

6. Mix the honey and cider vinegar, brush a thin coat all over the skin, close the lid and cook for 10 min more. It is done when the glaze is sticky and set, the skin is glossy mahogany, the thickest part of the thigh reads 80 to 85 °C and the breast at least 74 °C. Honey burns easily, so keep the bird in the middle, away from the coals.

   Add in this stepHoney 1 tbspApple cider vinegar 1 tsp

7. Using heatproof gloves, tongs and a folded towel, lift the chicken and can together onto a tray and rest it for 15 min, keeping the can level so the hot beer does not spill. Hold the bird with the towel, twist out the can, remove the lemon, take off the legs and thighs, then lift each breast off the bone in one piece and slice it thickly.