Balsamic Glazed Cider Chicken

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Don't tell the Boyfriend, but I've been watching the new season of Australian Masterchef without him. I love it when the Aussies do Masterchef. The seasons are absurdly long and intense, and because there are like 80 episodes/season, you really get to know the contestants. Yeah, I'm a nerd.

Any way, here I am watching the show and there's a CANADIAN on it. I love repping Canada pride and I was basically Team Canada during the Olympics (by myself, in my apartment). My fellow Canuck made it through the first round and earned the first apron making a variation of beer can chicken. You know, when you stick a beer can up a chicken's butt? It's one of those funny looking things I always thought would be interesting to try, but I've never done it because (a) beer is out for the gluten intolerant, and (b) I don't think I've ever bought a whole chicken. Whole beasts freak me out, man.

But I was so curious about this cider chicken concept that I sucked it up, went out in the rain, bought myself a whole clucker and went for it.

Oh, also, you can drink like, 1/2 the cider. Or more if you buy more than 1 can. But drinking is a pretty legit reason to cook, I think.

Sorry, there is no way to make a butt can chicken look attractive. At all. Tasted awesome, looks nasty.

As you can tell, I didn't use the can...only because I cut it too short and then remembered that someone had given us a weird housewarming gift that is actually a "real" version of the can and made specifically for chicken butts. I'll still tell you how to use the can though since not everyone will have the "cool" kitchen gadgetry I seem to have.


Balsamic Glazed Cider Chicken

What You Need
1 chicken, 4ish pounds, giblets removed, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup minced parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, very finely diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tallboy can cider (your choice!)

What You Do
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Mix together the minced parsley, garlic and onion. Separate the chicken skin from the meat without removing it (use your fingers), and spread the mixture on to the meat
3. Mix together the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and Italian seasoning and rub all over the outside of the chicken. Set aside any left-overs for later use
4. Empty 1/2 of the tallboy (into the sink, a glass or your mouth, whatever). Once the can is half full (or empty, you pessimist), use a sharp pair of kitchen knives to cut off the top of the can. Try not to leave any horrendously jagged edges
5. IF YOU WANT TO, you can add a bit of water to the cider, and some chopped onion
6. Slide the butt of the chicken on to the beer can and transfer it all (carefully) in to a dutch oven or lipped casserole dish
7. Bake for about 30 minutes and then baste again with the Balsamic glaze - ALTERNATIVELY, you can glaze your chicken once every 20 minutes. Total cook time should be 60-80 minutes
8. Continue cooking the chicken for another 30-40 minutes or until the limbs of the chicken move easily
9. When you take the chicken out, you can let it cool slightly and then slide the chicken off the top of the can, or have someone help you pull the chicken and can apart. You don't want to knock the whole thing over because it will spill whatever is left in the can in to the belly of your bird, but if you have to, you have to

Eat meeeeee