Thai Volcano Chicken -v- Beer Can Chicken

OK, this is a first for me. Posting a kitchen disaster. Well, not entirely a disaster, which is why I've decided to share it with you.

Usually if a recipe goes wrong, the photos are deleted and it won't get posted until I get it right, but this time it was only a minor detail that failed me!!

Volcano chicken is a dish I had the very first time at The Royal Elephant Restaurant in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, many years ago (too many to remember) and it's something that I've wanted to try again; especially as I can't get it in Spain anywhere (well, I've not come across a restaurant that serves it yet).

Having done the usual and googled it, I settled on a recipe which sounded good shown here and set about preparations.

I should probably mention at this stage that my experience of this dish at the Royal Elephant was quite different to all those that come up on google. It appears this dish is cooked with a whole chicken. However, at the Royal Elephant you are actually served a portion in a foil wrap, shaped as a volcano with the flames flowing out of the top. Quiet a spectacular looking dish I have to say. So to discover how it should be done was quite a shock. Nonetheless, that's what I did, well tried to anyway LOL.

I found there was actually far too much marinade and it turned out to be way too hot, even for me. Adaptions will be made next attempt.

One change I did make however, was the use of a beer can, half filled with beer instead of the recommend can half filled with stock or water. Did this make a difference, I've no idea but at least it worked.

Looking at my marinated bird with a beer can shoved up it's backside was quite funny and I did wonder if it would actually remain upright. At least that bit worked, phew.

I did find the need to put a foil tent over it at some stage, which was not easy due to the height, but I got there and managed to negotiate it back into the oven without disasters.

OK, so now my bird is cooked and we are ready to ignite it. To be on the safe side, we decided it best to take it outside to the terrace table and light it there.

This is where it all goes wrong. Poured over the whisky, ignited it. NOTHING, except a small little flame in the bottom of the roasting pan. Tried again, NOTHING except we now have a few pesky wasps appearing.

Time to take indoors and carve I think.

I should however mention at this stage. The chicken is beautifully cooked and nicely browned all over. If it were just beer can chicken, I would have been pleasantly surprised and totally happy with the result. However, we are all now hungry and eager to tuck into Volcano Chicken........

The taste test:-

Having boiled up the reserved marinade and carved the chicken, we all tucked in and served it with a simple thai salad.

Would perhaps have been better served with jasmine rice. Will do that next time. The chicken itself was moist and delicous. There was however, no evidence of the marinade flavours penetrating the chicken beyond the skin, so just as well we had a separate bowl to drizzle over the meat. The marinade was too hot although nice flavours but nothing like the dish I had at the Royal Elephant.

Conclusion:-

As a chicken cooked on a beer can. Fabulous and will definitely do this again, even if the bird does look as though it's about to run away LOL.

Was it Volcano Chicken. No, it tasted nothing like my past experences. However, with adaptions to the marinade I will endeavour to recreate this dish again. But, I will also recreate it served in foil shaped as a volcano just like the restaurant served it.

All in all, not a complete disaster, but a learning curve.