Kitchen Chemistry: Beer Can Chicken & Potato Salad

Still wondering what to get Dad this Father's Day? How about a wishbone, a funny bone, a case of beer, and (best of all) leftovers? Here's a meal that truly commemorates dear old Dad...

I found fabulous instructions for Roasted Beer Can Chicken in Martha Stewart Living, which I followed almost exactly (though I substituted rosemary for thyme). As a side, I made up a pan of roasted red potatoes seasoned with olive oil, sprigs of rosemary, pepper, and rosemary salt for extra flavor.

Our chicken was a fairly tubby specimen, but he was still extremely stable on top of the beer can in the oven (I was surprised!). He took a little longer to cook than expected, so I basted several more times than Martha recommended. When done, the skin was crispy and the meat was tender. I'd been skeptical about using stout with white meat... but the Guinness flavor was so complimentary that I might never cook chicken without it again. I made Martha's gravy as well, but found it to be weak and unnecessary (don't bother with it!).

Just like Dad, this is a meal that gets better with age (har har). Though we did our very best to take down that dinner, we had two wings, six ounces of thigh meat, and a pound of potatoes leftover for the next day. I told Adam I wanted a delicious potato salad to take on a picnic, and he didn't disappoint. Here's what he came up with:

Combine the chicken (shredded or in chunks) and potatoes in a large bowl with a small diced onion and a quarter cup of chopped Italian parsley. In a smaller bowl, mix together about a half a cup of mayonaise, a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder, a half tablespoon of paprika, a tablespoon of cracked black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and a teaspoon of white truffle oil. Spoon this mixture over your chicken and potatoes and stir until well coated. Lastly, add one or two large dill pickles (diced, per your taste), two hardboiled eggs (diced), and salt (keeping in mind that the potatoes and chicken are already salted and may not need much more).

The result is a mouthwateringly zesty salad that pairs well with (what else?) a velvety Guinness.

Happy Father's Day, and Happy Weekend!

xoxo,

Elizabeth