Buster's Drunk Chicken
Winning Recipe
2001 Georgia Chicken Cooking Championship

Serves 8 normal or 4 hungry persons.

Buster's Drunk Chicken Roost™
Chickens - four (4) 3 1/2 pound whole fresh fryers
Legg's™ BBQ rib rub - one (1) 8oz. pkg.
Budweiser™ beer - four (4) 12oz cans, half full
Olive oil - two (2) tablespoons per chicken
Minced garlic - one (1) tablespoon per beer can
Table sugar - 1/8 cup

Wash beer cans. Wash roost.
Spray roost with food spray - helps with cleanup.
Open beer cans, remove 1/2 contents - leaving 6 ounces or half.
Insert can in roost. Arrange with hole facing handle.
Put tablespoon of minced garlic in beer can. Foam is ok.
Combine sugar with spice. Mix well. Dispense from shaker jar.
Clean chickens thoroughly, inside and out. Remove unwanted parts.
Apply olive oil to chicken. Thin coating all over.
Shake spice onto chicken. Even coating all over.
Place chicken cavity over beer can. Press down firmly.
Chickens should be straight up, facing handle. Cross legs over roost rail.
Cook two (2) hours at 350 degrees, or until done - 180 degrees in breast and thigh.
Use meat thermometer to test doneness. Do not undercook!
When done, leave chickens on roost, put roost on platter.
Carve and serve directly from roost.

For great Drunk Chicken, try some of these combos:

Legg's™ BBQ rib rub and beer (classic)
Red pepper and beer
Lemon pepper marinade and white wine
2 Alarm Chili™ and beer
Everglades Seasoning™ and soy sauce
Rosemary, sage and apple juice
Mrs. Dash Seasoning™ and beer
Pineapple marinade and beer
Mesquite rub and beer
Pork sausage seasoning and root beer

…plus variations of those shown, and many others based on your personal taste. Experiment!

Tip: Chopped garlic in the beer is a good thing.

Nita's Marinaded Chicken

- One 3 1/2 - 4 pound whole chicken - 1/2 of 12 oz. can of Budweiser
- One bottle of Chardonnay wine - 1 bunch fresh Tarragon - 1 bunch fresh Rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh Chives - 4 fresh Garlic cloves - 2 fresh Bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons Honey - 1 tablespoon salt - 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 One gallon ziplock bag

Remove stems from spices. Finely chop Tarragon, Rosemary, Chives, and Garlic into equal amounts. Mix chopped spices in small bowl, adding Honey, salt and pepper. Put 1/2 of spice mixture into a 1 gallon zip lock bag. Add Bay leaves, and the whole bottle of wine. Save 1/2 of spice mixture to put on chicken and in can later. Wash chicken thoroughly, and put into bag with mixture. Squeeze air out of bag so that chicken is completely covered. Let sit in refrigerator 4-6 hours - overnight is best. Discard liquid - do not use to baste chicken during cooking.

Pre-heat grill to 300 degrees - Put tablespoon of spice in can - Put can in holder - Rub remaining spice on chicken. - Put cavity of chicken down over beer can and press down firmly - Put chicken on grill - balance well - Cook at 300 degrees for 2 hours or until chicken is done - use meat thermometer - DON'T GUESS! - Temp must be at least 180 degrees in breast and thigh. IMPORTANT! - When done, remove from grill, cover with foil, let sit for 15 minutes - Serve with wild and long grain rice dressing with apples and pecans, and fresh butter peas and cornbread.

Buster's Last Call Drunk Chicken Marinade

Combine beer, sugar, vinegar, and spices in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and let cool. Place whole chicken in a large shallow roasting pan or plastic Zip Lock bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Turn chicken several times during the next few hours. We suggest that you marinate a 4 lb chicken at least 3 hours, overnight is best. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Arrange chicken on your Buster's Drunk Chicken Roost™ and grill or smoke until meat is tender, basting with marinade every 20-30 minutes. Let cooked chicken stand 15-20 minutes to enhance flavor.
Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Divan

- 3 cups fresh broccoli flowerets
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 6 tablespoons all-propose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- 3 chicken breasts, halved and cooked. Drunk Chicken works great!
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook broccoli and drain well. Melt butter - blend in flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and dash pepper. Add chicken broth. Cook and stir till mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in cream and wine. Place broccoli in 12x7x2 inch baking dish. Pour half the sauce over the broccoli. Top with chicken. To remaining sauce add cheese, pour over chicken. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or till heated through. Then broil just till sauce is golden, about 5 minutes.
Makes 6 servings.

Green Bean Casserole

- 10 oz can condensed Cream of Mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup Milk
- big pinch black pepper
- 4 cups cooked and cut green beans
- 1 1/3 cup French's Fried Onions

In 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, mix soup, milk and pepper. Stir in beans and 1/2 of onions. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees until hot. Stir, and top with remaining onions. Bake for 5 minutes, until onions are golden.
Makes 6 servings.

Glazed Carrots

- 2 cups baby carrots
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons white wine
- Juice of one orange
- Salt to taste

Cook carrots in water until tender. Drain well. Melt butter in skillet, add sugar and let brown slightly. Add white wine, orange juice, salt, and carrots. Cook carrots in mixture until glazed.
Makes 2 servings.

Drunk Chicken Salad

- 3 cups cooked drunk chicken
- 1 small can sliced pineapple
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Shred chicken. Cut pineapple into small cubes. Mix with mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste. Also great for sandwiches.
Makes 4 servings.

Macaroni Salad

- 1 cup elbow macaroni, cooked, drained, and cooled
- 1 cup cubed sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup bias-cut celery slices
- 1/3 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped canned pimiento
- 1/4 cup drained sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine first 7 ingredients. In another bowl, blend mayonnaise, mustard, and salt; add to mixture, toss lightly. Serve chilled.
Makes 6 servings.

Drunk Chicken Gravy

- 1/2 can of beer
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon spice rub

Combine ingredients in blender. Blend well. Put in sauce pan and cook on low heat to reduce. Serve on side with chicken. Or, make lots, and use to baste chicken while cooking. Use the same spices that were used on the chicken and put in the can.

Grilled Vidalia™ Onions

- 2 Vidalia™ onions
- 1 bouillon cube
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon of beer
- salt and pepper

Combine bouillon cube, butter, and beer. Mix into a paste. Cut top off onion, do not peel. Using a teaspoon, scoop out a hole in center of onion. Pack with 1 tablespoon of mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Place on grill for 15 minutes or until tender. Use indirect heat.
Makes 2 servings.