Chicken has an affinity for ginger— a penchant appreciated by culinary cultures as diverse as Jamaican, Chinese and Moroccan. That set me thinking about a beer-can chicken that could be cooked with ginger ale or its stronger-flavored Caribbean cousin, ginger beer. The “rub” is an aromatic paste made from ginger, garlic and spices. The ginger ale and ginger barbecue sauce up the flavor even more. Now that’s a bird with a kick!
For the Ginger-Garlic Paste
2 tablespoons peeled finely chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 scallions, both white and green parts trimmed and finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame or vegetable oil
1 can or bottle (12 ounces) ginger ale or ginger beer
1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
2 slices peeled fresh ginger (each 1/4-inch thick)
Ginger Barbecue Sauce (click for recipe)
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory), soaked for 1 hour in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
1. Make the ginger-garlic paste: Combine the ginger, garlic, scallions, salt, pepper and oil in a mini-chopper or blender and puree to a paste. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the paste for the sauce.
2. If the ginger ale is canned: Pop the tab off the can and pour half of the ginger ale (3/4 cup) into a measuring cup and set aside for the sauce. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top.
If the ginger ale is bottled: Fill an empty can halfway or fill a vertical chicken roaster, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Prep and clean chicken as for the Basic recipe, step 2.
4. Place half of the ginger-garlic paste in the body and neck cavities of the chicken and rub the remainder over the outside of the bird. Put a slice of ginger in the body and in the neck cavity of the chicken.
5. Follow cooking directions from the Basic recipe, steps 4-7. Serves 2 to 4.
