Andy Allen's Beer Can Chicken – Get On The Tongs

Harissa glazed beer can chicken, charred baby capsicum salsa, by Andy Allen (and Matt Baker)

Ingredients

• 1.2kg free range chicken
• 2 tubes of harissa paste
• 20g maple syrup
• 20g red wine vinegar
• 50g olive oil
• 1 can of travla
• 3 garlic gloves
• 2 sage sprigs
• 3 sprigs of thyme

Roasted pepper salsa

• 1 punnet mini capsicums
• 3 spring onions
• Handful parsley leaves
• Handful of mint leaves
• 45g red wine vinegar
• 45g olive oil
• ¼ clove of garlic
• salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Crank your bbq to a high heat.
2. For the harissa glaze, just mix together the harissa, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, olive oil and give it a good pinch of salt.
3. To prep the beer can you need a hot can of travla. Crack the tin, take a good gulp and then use a can opener to take the top off the can. Pour out half of the beer (don’t waste it) and then pop in the garlic cloves, sage and thyme. Slide the chook over the beer can so that the chicken is facing upright. Transfer it to a roasting tray and then give it a good paint with the harissa glaze. Carefully transfer it to your bbq and then put the lid down and cook for 40 minutes. Every 5 or so minutes pull the lid up and paint the chook with another layer of the glaze. After the 40 minutes of cooking, it should be nicely glazed and charred. 
4. While the chook is cooking, give the mini capsicums and spring onions a little lick of olive oil and salt. Throw them on the grill part of you bbq and char them up for a few minutes.
5. Leave them to cool and them roughly slice them up. Slide them into a bowl and add in the chopped parsley and mint, red wine vinegar, olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
   
6. Once the chook has rested for a few minutes, cut it into 8 pieces, transfer to your serving plate and scatter over the salsa.