Life is so unfair. Not only did a chicken have to die a gruesome death for my selfish benefit, but I also shoved a mason jar of beer up its… um, cavity.

Roasting chicken on a bottle or can of beer is a tried-and-true technique. The beer creates steam in the chicken while it cooks, which prevents the meat from drying out. I was thinking about what to serve alongside my poor little bird when I realized that I can roast potatoes in the same pan and they will come out all awesome after mingling with those glorious chicken juices. Then I thought to throw in some garlic. Because it’s garlic.

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

Salt/pepper

About 6 oz beer (lager or ale)*

4-6 medium potatoes, cubed

5 whole garlic cloves, peeled

*I tried to place the chicken over a half-full beer bottle but the throat of the bottle surfaced at the top of the bird which would defeat the purpose of the steam. To prevent this, it is best to use a can of beer – just remember to pour out/drink half of it. I poured my beer into a mason jar and it worked out well too.

Procedure: Take chicken out of fridge 30 min prior to cooking and let come to room temp. Preheat oven to 350F. Rinse well and pat dry. Place beer can/jar in a large baking dish and place chicken on top. Evenly coat the chicken with half of the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, toss the potatoes and garlic cloves in remaining oil with salt and pepper.

Scatter potatoes around chicken and roast until golden brown. The chicken is done when you pierce it with a knife and the juices run clear. (My chicken weighed 3 lbs and it cook 1 hour and 20 min to cook through.) The potatoes will be done at the same time. Let the chicken rest for 15 min before slicing, to let the juices redistribute.

This was my first time roasting a chicken and I was satisfied with the results. Next time, I think I’ll season the bird with some herbs and use a variety of vegetables for roasting.