Phil's BBQ recipe - lemonade chicken

"A great variation on the traditional beer-can chicken recipe!"

I actually did not believe this recipe when I was told about it by a friend, I had to cook it first!

After a certain amount of trepidation and shopping for all the ingredients, I actually started to warm to the idea. Once the ingredients were mixed together, the aroma they gave off was wonderful.

Purists will really hate this idea, but to me there is absolutely no difference in this recipe and a normal barbecue sauce recipe, in the respect of the amount of salt and sugar they contain. In fact this recipe has less sugar than most recipes I have seen.

Once cooked the result is stunning! The flavour and moist eating are really good, so go on give it a whirl. Personally, I like to serve this jointed chicken with mashed potatoes and Hush Puppies!

Preparation time: 20 minutes / Cooking time: About 2 hours / Serves: Many!

Ingredients:	Ingredients: (Rub)
1 x 1.3kg (3lb) fresh organic chicken	1 ½ tbsp lemonade powder
12 fl oz (350ml) can of lemonade	1 tbsp dark brown sugar
	1 tbsp paprika
	1 tbsp sea salt
	1 tsp ground black pepper
	1 tsp garlic powder
	finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
	1tsp celery salt

Method:

The rub

Make the rub by placing all the ingredients into a dry bowl and mixing well, and prepare the chicken by un-wrapping the bird, washing thoroughly and seasoning well inside with the rub.

Open the can of lemonade, and either drink or discard half of it. Carefully remove the top of the can with a can opener, or pierce the lid well with a skewer or an ‘old fashioned’ hand opener.

Carefully add about 3 heaped teaspoons of the rub into the lemonade, along with the zest of lemon.

The chicken

Place a deep aluminium foil tray on the work surface and place the can in the centre. Lower the chicken down onto the can until it is fully inserted.

Carefully pull out the legs so you end up with a tripod effect, the parson’s nose being one point, and the two knuckles of the chicken being the other. Make sure there is a minimum of a 4cm gap around the chicken, so you can spoon over the juices whilst cooking.

If you are using a ready made beer can chicken holder, then simply place the can into the centre of the holder and proceed as above.

The barbie

Pre-heat the barbecue as per the instructions and carefully place the chicken and foil tray onto the barbecue and close the lid.

Cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes on a temperature of 180° C, 350° F.

Every 30 minutes baste well with the juices that run from the bird.

For more of Phil's recipes and cooking tips, visit his official website www.vickery.tv