Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Sage

White Wine

Whole Roasting Chicken

I’ve been making Texas-style beer can chicken on my grill for about 20 years. A few years ago, I decided to try a new twist on a family favorite by using wine instead of beer and fresh herbs instead of a dry rub.

It’s kind of French and kind of Texas, so we christened it Poulet au canette de bière, which we think is French for Beer Can Chicken. But we’re from Texas, so hopefully we have butchered the French sufficiently to make them indignant if they come across this name.

I use a Weber kettle grill and indirect heat so the chicken cooks slowly, but you can easily follow this recipe and bake it in the oven at 375 degrees.

Open a can of your favorite beer and pour the contents into a frosted glass. Cut the top out of the can and fill it half way with a good, dry white wine and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and sage.

Wash the chicken with hot water and remove the neck and giblets. Rub the inside of the cavity with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Insert the can into the cavity and position the chicken so it stands upright. Rub the outside of the chicken with the oil, salt and herbs.

Stand the chicken upright on the grill, legs against the grate and cover. Make sure the breast is facing the heat. If you have a kettle grill, close the vents half way. You want a good smoke, but not too hot of a fire.

Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for a 2 1/2 to 3 lb. chicken. Turn the chicken so the other side faces the heat about half-way through. I usually can tell when the chicken is done by the golden color of the skin, how loose the joints are, and the firmness of the breast meat. But to be safe, use a meat thermometer and make sure the breast or thigh has reached 180 degrees.