Entrées / Beer-Steamed Barbecue Chicken With Vodka-Infused Watermelon
A taste of Deep South barbecue with cool, refreshing vodka-watermelon slices. Recipe from Chris Mark of Blue Smoke Bar-B-Que.
Infusing vodka into watermelon
- Cut roughly 1/8 of watermelon off, and set in a large tray on flat side. Use apple corer to make a hole 8cm deep on top of watermelon.
- Invert opened neck of vodka bottle into the hole. Leave it in a fridge for 1-2 days until vodka disappears from bottle.
Slicing watermelon
- Cut watermelon into equal slices of thickness according to preference. Cut along the rind lines and discard rinds. Cut into slices of preferred thickness. Cover and refrigerate.
Seasoning chicken
- If you make dry rub, combine ingredients and store in air-tight container.
- Soak wood chips with half a can of beer. Drain and wrap chips in foil packet. Poke a few holes in top of packet, set aside.
- Coat inside of chicken with 1 tbsp of dry rub. Coat outside with generous layer of dry rub, including all folds and entire surface. Chicken must be at room temp.
Prep chicken for grill
- In baking tray, place an opened half-full can of beer and add 1 tbsp dry rub into it.
- Place the opening of the chicken over the can of beer, and balance it. It will steam from the inside and grill from the outside.
Grilling chicken – part one
- Grill should be medium-high heat. Place the tray on the grill and the wood chip packet next to it. Cover the grill and cook for 1 hour.
- Poke chicken with chopstick to see if it is cooked. If cooked, chopstick will pass through easily and juices will run clear.
- Once cooked, generously baste chicken with barbecue sauce.
Grilling chicken – part two; arrangement
- Cover the grill and cook for 15 mins, or until barbecue sauce is browned and caramelised. Continue basting barbecue sauce.
- Remove beer can and quarter your chicken. Serve with watermelon slices on the side.
INGREDIENTS
- (4 Servings)
- Watermelon
- 1 large round watermelon
- Smirnoff Vodka (1 litre bottle)
- Dry rub
- Kosher salt (60g)
- Sugar (30g)
- Ground cumin (60g)
- Paprika (60g)
- Cayenne pepper (60g)
- Garlic powder (60g)
- Onion powder (60g)
- Chicken
- Barbecue sauce (2 cups)
- Wood chips (beechwood or apple wood, 1 cup)
- Whole chicken (1.6kg)
- Beer (1 can)
WINE PAIRING
- Watermelon Caprioska
- Fresh lime, brown sugar, and watermelon Smirnoff shaken on ice.
- Wine, beer, and cocktail pairings by Patrick Frawley, Head Sommelier at Landmark Mandarin Oriental
MUSIC PAIRING
- Artist Name: Black Keys
- Title of Album: Brothers
- Date of Release: May 18, 2010
- Name of Record Label: Nonsuch
- Music pairings by the Global Music Director of W Hotels, Michaelangelo L’Acqua
WHERE TO BUY
- N/A
PREP TIME & COOK TIME
- 10 mins; 1 hr 15 mins
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