BBQ Beer Can Chicken

Starting at the dawn of the barbecue, the BBQ Manual traces the origins of this popular worldwide cooking method right through to the present day. It's packed with 100 mouth-watering recipes; some traditional, many contemporary, including the infamous beer-can chicken - the time-honoured way to roast a whole chicken on a back garden barbecue. 

BBQ Beer Can Chicken

 

You need:

1.5–2kg (3½–4lb) whole chicken 1 tall can of lager or beer
4 tablespoons general meat rub (see recipe below)
50g (2oz) melted salted butter

 

To do:

1. Open the can of beer and pour out half the contents. Make two additional holes in the top of the beer can.
2. Remove the giblets and discard any fat inside the body and neck cavities.
3. Wash the chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the rub inside the body cavity and a tablespoon of the rub in the neck cavity.
5. Brush the outside of the chicken with half the melted butter.
6. Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with a tablespoon of the rub.
7. Stir another tablespoon of the rub into the remaining melted butter and set aside.
8. Holding the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, lower the chicken on to the beer can so it fits snugly inside. Tuck the wing tips behind the back.
9. Push the chicken down as far as it will go onto the can so it is stable.
10. Stand the chicken over a low heat, cover the grill and cook for 1½ hours until the chicken skin is crisp and dark brown.
11. Baste the chicken with the reserved butter-rub mixture every 30 minutes.
12. If the skin starts to brown too early cover the chicken loosely with foil.
13. Once cooked, place the chicken on a plate and let it rest.

After 10 minutes lift the chicken carefully off the beer can and carve.

General Meat Rub

for meat, poultry and fish

50g salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon powdered onion
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Mix all of the ingredients together and store in a glass jar and use as required.

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Haynes Election Jargon Buster

Take a look inside Haynes How to Run the Country Manual

Haynes

Commando Spirit Series

Survive The Yomp

 Commando Spirit gives you the chance to test yourself against some of the most formidable aspects of Commando training whilst raising life changing sums for those in need. You'll be supported all the way by serving and former Royal Marines as you discover a little of how it feels to be a Commando whilst taking part in a life changing challenge.

Former Royal Marines Commando PTI and Commando Spirit Ambassador Sean Lerwill provides fitness hints and tips for all those taking part in Commando Spirit's flagship event, Survive The Yomp, the legendary 30 mile hike across "Commando Country" in the Scottish Highlands. Everyone who signs up receives a copy of the Haynes Royal Marines Fitness Physical Training Manual as part of their Briefing Pack.

"We want to ensure that all our participants get the best advice to support their preparations and the Haynes Manual written by our Ambassador Sean Lerwill is absolutely superb" says Commando Spirit Founder and Director Sally-Anne Hunter.

"I am honoured to support Commando Spirit and Survive The Yomp, and as a former RM PTI I will be providing participants with fitness advice during their training. I am very proud of my Royal Marine roots and believe that anyone who interacts, trains or competes with the Royal Marines benefits enormously from the experience and takes away their very own little bit of Commando Spirit." says Sean Lerwill.

To find out more about the Commando Spirit Series and how you can sign up to take part visit www.commandospirit.com

Sean Lerwill is the author of several fitness and training manuals including the Haynes Royal Marines Fitness Manual

Haynes

Wheeler Dealers pick their top five restorations

With more than 100 episodes under their belt, the job of picking their favourite restorations was no easy task, but Mike Brewer and Edd China used their usual determination to hammer out their top five:

1.  Austin Mini

Mike says: "The Mini is definitely one of my all-time favourite classics, and is just such good fun to drive. If you want a small classic that'll be easy to work on, this is definitely the car for you; and there's a great owners' scene too, so you'll never be stuck for help or advice."

Edd says: "The Mini is the perfect car to learn about restoration skills. Not only is just about every part available but there's plenty of opportunity to undertake a few modifications and perhaps improve the performance, as it's a car that responds really well to tuning. The other great thing is that most parts are really cheap, so restoring one won't break the bank."

2.  Jaguar E-Type

Edd says: "The E-Type is an amazing car, and although I haven't always been sold on the looks I must admit that working on one changed my mind. They are complex, though, and the thought of carrying out major work can be daunting. But having had one in the workshop, I can really appreciate the engineering that went into them, and it's easy to see why so many people love them."

Mike says: "You're not going to be surprised to hear that I rate the E-Type as an absolute classic car icon. It's a gorgeous machine and I'm just as much a fan of them now as I was when I first saw one as a kid, so for me it was a car that we just had to have on Wheeler Dealers. If ever there was a car that needs expert advice before you take the plunge, this is it, and I was really happy to find the Series 3 car that we featured. My plan was always to keep it absolutely original and just concentrate on a proper restoration, as I knew that was where the profit lay."

3.  Peugeot 205 GTI

Mike says: "I've always been a huge fan of the hot hatchback, and I bought and sold plenty back in my trading days. And I reckon the 205 GTI was one of the very best, especially if you go for the 1.9-litre version like we did. That engine is just so punchy, and in such a light car it's a fantastic way to get down a B-road. Rising prices mean there is real investment potential here and you'll absolutely love it."

Edd says: "If I'm honest I'd probably say that I prefer the Golf GTI as a hot hatch, but it's easy to see why the Peugeot 205 GTI is so popular. The 1.9-litre engine is a great unit, and it's robust if you look after it properly. The 205 isn't too hard to work on either. As a technical exercise Peugeot got the GTI spot on, and – typical of French cars – there are some clever design touches."

4.  Mazda MX-5

Edd says: "The MX-5 was in a real state, and sorting the hood and interior took absolutely hours. All in all this one definitely needed some hard work putting in. Having said that, they are quite easy cars to work on, and things like the bolt-on front wings make some of the jobs easier. There are loads of aftermarket parts available, and as long as you stick to good quality parts they usually bolt straight on without the need for any fettling."

Mike says: "There's no doubt about it, the original MX-5 is an absolutely cracking little convertible, and if you're looking for some cheap fun, this is the car to be looking at. There are so many around that you won't have trouble finding a good one, and as long as it's not suffering from rot or been abused it should be cheap to run as well.

5.  Porsche 911 (993)

Mike says: "To be honest, I was really shocked at the condition of the 911 – I don't think I'd ever seen one as abused as this. But we really wanted to get another one on the show, and to find a 993 for this sort of money was amazing. Both of us loved it, and as soon as I took it for a test drive I knew this was the one. I think I said it on the show, but sometimes you just get a feel about a car that needs rescuing, and this Porsche was one of those."

Edd says: "Although the 993 was really poor cosmetically, the biggest job to do was fixing the Varioram system. Porsche's official method is to remove the engine, but that's a major task on one of these, which is why I wanted to see whether it could be done with the engine in place. Luckily this one worked out, although it still took a good few hours, and it needed a really methodical approach, with all the vacuum pipes involved."

To order you copy of the Wheeler Dealers Car Restoration Manual go to the book details page or to our Wheeler Dealers Car Restoration Manual feature page.

Haynes

Chicken Pie in a Pan

To celebrate British Pie Week, which takes place from the 2nd – 8th of March, we’ve dedicated this month’s blog to one of our favourite pie recipes from the Haynes Men’s Pie Manual, written by Andrew Webb. We’ve included the complete recipe and method below so you have everything you need, except for the ingredients, and it’s a very simple but very tasty pie that we’re sure you’ll enjoy. For more great pie recipes check out the Men’s Pie Manual RRP: £21.99 available from www.haynes.co.uk and other good book shops.

Chicken in a frying pan pie

This is the easiest pie in the world, as you make everything in one pan. Needless to say,
it has to be a pan that you can put in a hot oven. I also use ready-made pastry as that
saves time, mess and fuss too.

I made this pie in a small 7in (18cm) frying pan, though I’ve done it in larger; if you’re going to use a normal sized frying pan double the amount of filling, and I’d probably use a pie bird in the centre. You can also use the tiny frying pans used for frying individual eggs, the result being more of a ‘starter’-sized pie. You can also bulk out with left-over spuds.

Ingredients

 

For the filling
½ tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 small onion chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
Large handful of any leftover cooked chicken bits (thigh, breast or leg)
½ teaspoon of dried tarragon
100ml of chicken stock
Tablespoon of crème fraîche
Handful of frozen peas
Leftover boiled/roast potato
For the pastry
1 packet of pre-made, pre-rolled pastry (shortcrust or puff)
1 egg

Method

 

1)    Place your pan on the hob and gently fry the onion in the oil until soft. Add the garlic halfway through (you don’t want it to burn).
2)     Add the chicken, tarragon, stock and crème fraîche and simmer for about 15 minutes until well combined. Then add the potato.
3)     Add the frozen peas and cook for another 5 minutes so they’re cooked but still bright green.
4)     Turn off the heat and leave to cool.
5)     When cool, preheat your oven to 180°C. Take the pastry out of the packet and cut off two strips 1cm wide. Fashion these around the edge of your pan (this is to provide a bit more support to the pastry). Brush them with egg wash and unfurl your pastry over the pan. Crimp gently and trim off the excess. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and place in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is cooked and golden.
6)    Allow to cool a little before eating straight out of the pan.

Learn more about the Haynes Men's Pie Manual

Haynes

Keep calm and make homebrew beer

Warning The Haynes Beer Manual could change your life.

Most books about home brewing tell readers how to make beers at home, which are not only the same as they drink in a pub but will be cheaper. 

The Haynes Beer Manual is much more than that, not only does it describe beer from its earliest days but it is intended to give the reader the skills to produce beers which surpass commercial creations. And yes they could be cheaper than a beer from a pub, but that’s not the point. 

Becoming a home brewer is to become part of a growing movement which embraces men and women, the younger streetwise as well as those who might be older and more sedate. 

Some might secretly want to turn a hobby into a profession others might be professionals piloting new beers at home while others are brewing to entertain themselves and their friends.

In the United States home brewing is a seriously cool hobby for tens of thousands of people, most towns have at least one home brewing club and there is annual convention where thousands of different beers can be tasted. And the signs are that something similar could be happening here. It has never been easier.

Brewing your first brew at home is the first step on a journey which will bring you new friends and take you to different places. Beer is a social lubricant which fires people’s imaginations and conversations.

Brewers, be they humble creators of beer at home or those who work for commercial concerns love to talk, swap ideas and recipes. 

Home brewing with the help of the Haynes Beer Manual is easy, fun and very rewarding and you end up with the beer to drink. 

Anyone can do it. You don’t need lots of equipment to make quality beer. If you can open a can of soup and heat it, then you can make beer. 

It’s not going to cost you lots. A basic kit, with everything you need can be found around £30-£40.

And you first brew will be done in next to no time.  From start to finish and depending on the beer, it will take about three to four weeks to make your first beer. 

Brewing: two hours; fermentation: 10 days; bottling: one hour, a cask would be even quicker; conditioning: two weeks and the time to drink a glass – well that that all depends on your thirst.

So buy the book now and you could be enjoying a glass of your own brew with you Christmas dinner. 

Buy it as a present and you could be drinking your own beer by the end of January. 

Tim Hampson

Author Haynes Beer Manual