Spice-Rubbed Beer-Can Chicken with Potatoes and Sweet Peppers

Beer-Can Chicken is an easy way to cook a moisture, flavorful bird.  Any beer will work.  What I like about this recipe is the use of Mayo to add flavor and help the skin crisp.   Add in more hot sauce to give the bird a Buffalo-Chicken flavor.

A beer-can chicken holder are nice to help support the chicken while cooking.  Its not a must since you can  create a tripod by using the beer can and the legs of the chicken.  

When grilling make sure to position the chicken so that it is not directly over the heat source to help reduce or eliminate flare-ups.   I seen a few in-flamed beer-can chickens which aren't fun to extinguish.

When the bird is done, it can be a bit tricky get it off of the beer-can.  Make sure to have hot pads and/or thongs ready to help grip the can and chicken.

Time: 20 minutes plus 75 minutes cooking

1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons madras curry powder or your favorite spice mix
Hot sauce, to taste
1 can beer
1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 large red, orange or yellow bell peppers, quartered and deseeded
Olive oil
Lime wedges, for serving
Chopped basil, for serving.

1. Prepare grill for indirect heat: if using gas, heat one side to medium high for 10 minutes, leaving other side off. If using charcoal, mound and light coals on one side.

2. Season chicken generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Mix mayonnaise with spices and hot sauce to taste. Slather all but 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise mixture over chicken, including cavity.

3. Open beer and drink or pour out half. Lower chicken over can so that can is inside chicken cavity. Chicken should be upright. Place chicken on unlit side and cover grill. Cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toss potatoes with remaining mayonnaise and a pinch of salt. Toss peppers with olive oil, salt and pepper.

4. When chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, set potatoes on grill, also on unlit side. If using charcoal, add more coals. Let both cook for 30 minutes more. When done, potatoes should be soft and golden; chicken skin should be brown (around 75 minutes, depending on your grill). If necessary, move both to lighted side to brown further.

5. When chicken is done, very carefully remove can (hold chicken with tongs and use an oven mitt to pull out can). Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grill peppers for about 2 to 3 minutes each side.

6. Carve chicken and garnish with lime wedges and basil before serving with potatoes and peppers.

Yield: 4 servings.