Right! Time to get out the big black cast-iron pot, and cook a camp-fire roast chicken dinner – no oven required.
A chicken pot-roast is delicious and easy to make, and even cooks quite quickly. The flavours are amazing – this may be the most tender, flavourful chicken you’ve ever had on a braai, and it comes with a rich, fragrant gravy.
To serve with the roast chicken, try some potato halves soaked in olive oil and braaied until crisp. With a big summer salad and a glass of chilled white wine, you’ll have a feast!
To pot-roast a chicken, you’ll need your faithful Dutch oven or potjie pot, and a wood-fire with flames, especially at first.
To cook the potatoes, you’ll need hot coals, so put them on when your chicken is nearly done. It will take about an hour to roast a small chicken, slightly longer for a larger bird, and about 20 minutes grill time for the potatoes.
Beer Pot Roast Chicken
Serves 4
Oil for frying
1 small chicken
2 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and halved
3 cloves of garlic
1 beer
500 mls of boiling water, mixed with –
1 heaped Tbsp good quality chicken stock powder (I like Ina Paarman’s stock)
- Wash and trim the chicken, pat dry with kitchen tissue
- Heat a little oil in the pot over the flames, add the chicken and brown thoroughly. Take time to do this, as this will add to flavour and appearance
- Once the chicken is done to your satisfaction, remove it from the pot and set aside for a few minutes
- Add the bacon, garlic and onions to the pot, arranging the onions cut side down in the centre, and letting the bacon and garlic fry briefly – don’t let the garlic burn, or it will be bitter
- Return the chicken to the pot, placing it breast side down on top of the onions, and add the beer and stock
- Cover with the lid, and leave to cook – it should simmer quite briskly
- Remove the chicken from the pot, and carve
- Serve with the gravy poured over the meat, which will be tender and succulent
Braaied Potato Halves
These potatoes are even good cold the next day.
Serves 4
4 potato (or one per person)
Olive oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Dried mixed herbs
- Wash the potatoes and boil in their jackets until just tender – you should just be able to get a sharp knife through the centre – be careful not to overcook, or it will be difficult to braai them (if you cook them too much, I’d suggest proceeding with potato salad instead).
- Drain the water and leave to cool
- Split each potato in half lengthwise
- Score each half with a sharp knife to allow all that gorgeous olive oil to soak in (or prick thoroughly with a fork), taking care not to go through the skins
- Arrange on a plate, pour over some olive oil, rubbing it into the skins
- On the cut side, grind over the seasonings, sprinkle with herbs, then turn the potatoes cut side down to soak in the oil
- About 20 to 30 minutes before the chicken is done, place the potatoes on the grid over hot coals, starting with skin side down, and then turning them regularly
- Serve with the chicken and gravy and a big green salad – oh, and don’t forget the wine!
Enjoy!!
Please do check out my new page on camp-fire bread making. Happy camping!!
Can’t wait to try Camp-fire Beer Pot-Roast Chicken with Roast tonight. After reading about your recipe, I went shopping and got all of the ingrediants. Let ya know how it comes out.
LikeLike
Well, that’s so exciting!! I can’t wait to hear – be sure to let me know 🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: Up the Mountain Chicken in a Pot – Poule au Pot « Chica Andaluza
I love chicken and this recipe looks so good and also the potatoes…have a great week
LikeLike
Thank you, Katy…you have a great week too!!
LikeLike
Now how could we forget the wine?! That looks amazing, similar to a dish I´m posting soon that I did in the oven but yours has added outdoor smokey flavour! What a wonderful dish…pass the potatoes will you please? 😉
LikeLike
Looking forward to your recipe, Chica. Potatoes on their way… 😀
LikeLike
yummy food my friend 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you, T! Hugs
LikeLike
What a fabulous meal Linda – very much a comfort meal. Think I will get Pete to do us a chicken like this when he gets home from his business trip later this week.
🙂 Mandy
LikeLike
Thank you, Mandy, enjoy that braai when your hubby gets back 🙂
LikeLike
great chicken and i love these spuds. I did a chicken in my dutch oven on the wood stove yesterday, i stuffed it with oranges and onions, and cooked it over the fire for about 8 hours, then added some orange zest to the gravy!! DIVINE! I love the dutch oven cooking! great idea to add bacon i will do that next time too.. c
LikeLike
That chicken of yours sounds amazing, C – I have cooked chicken with lemons but never orange – I’ll definitely be trying that. Yum. Thanks!
LikeLike
This sounds wonderful, and the potatoes are beckoning me through the screen. 😉
LikeLike
Thank you AD! 🙂
LikeLike