Beer can chicken and smoky BBQ sauce

Photo / Ian Jones

SAUCE (for four chickens):
750g tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, finely sliced
1 red chilli, seeded, chopped
20g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar
30ml Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp American mustard
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp mixed ground allspice and cloves
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 cinnamon quill

BEER-CAN CHICKEN:
4 size-13 chickens, fresh or defrosted
8 cloves garlic, skin on, cut in half
4 sprigs thyme
4 tsp grated ginger

For the sauce: In a saucepan, combine tomato, onion and chilli and cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes or until soft. Transfer to a liquidiser or blender, blitz until smooth, pass through a sieve and into a clean saucepan. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until thick. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon quill. Will keep refrigerated for one month.

For beer-can chicken: Pre-heat barbecue to 200C. Fold back the wings under the bird.

Drink half the beer then, poke the garlic, thyme and ginger into the can. Put can inside the cavity of the bird, rub the skin with oil and season with the rub recipe. Stand bird inside barbecue and seal for 15 minutes, then turn heat down to 150C and cook for a further 45 to 55 minutes depending on the size of the chicken.