Drunken Birds

Justin Bonello Recipes

When we decided to go on a boy’s only fishing weekend in Dutoitskloof, the lads said it sounded a little tame so I came up with just the thing to liven things up – a couple of steamy birds!

What you’ll need:

  • 2 whole chickens
  • 2 cans of ale
  • 4 gloves of garlic
  • whole black pepper corns
  • malden sea salt
  • olive oil
  • a small sprig of flat leafed parsley

 

First off – get the heat up and light a fire in your Weber. This is a super simple recipe that combines two of man’s favourite pastimes – braaing and cracking a can. Add 2 juicy chicks and how can it go wrong?

Chuck the garlic, pepper and salt into your pestle and mortar and mung the flavours together. Now add a good splash of olive oil and parsley – just bruise the leaves. Use this marinade to give the birds a good old massage all over, inside and out.

When the coals are ready, crack open the beers, take a swig of each and perch the well-oiled birds upright on the open cans, wriggle them down so that they’re comfortable and the cavity is filled – we don’t want them falling over. Then settle them on the grid and close the Weber. Allow the chickens to cook for between 40 – 80 minutes. The secret here is that the beer boils and steams the flesh from the inside giving it that malty flavour and keeping it juicy while the Weber acts like a braai/oven and crisps the skin. Once the chicken is done to your liking, crack open some more beers and enjoy!

 

Who needs other birds when these are so plump and tender!

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