Roasted Soda-Can Chicken

Yes, you read the title correctly- Roasted Soda-Can Chicken.  Hard to believe? Trust me...you need a soda can for this recipe!  I came across this recipe after a friend of mine posted it up on her Facebook page.  I couldn't believe my eyes- there was a pop can sticking out of her roasted chicken!  After asking a few questions, she gave me the link to the recipe from where she drew her inspiration. Instead of using the rub mixture the recipe suggested, my friend 'J' used Lahori Charga Masala spices. If you don't know what that is, it's a prepared blend of Indian spices that is readily available in Indian food stores across North America.  If you can't find it, create a blend of the following ground spices: red chili, coriander, salt, turmeric, cumin seeds, dried garlic powder, dried ginger powder, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, cardamoms, mace and cubebs.  By taking inspiration from both sources, I came up with this:

Roasted Soda-Can Chicken

Chicken

1 whole chicken, skin off

1 packet of Lahori Charga Masala spice blend

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

Juice of 2 lemons, put lemon halves aside

1 12oz Sprite can

Vegetables

1 zucchini, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 tbsp olive oil

salt

pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 

Remove the giblets and rinse chicken inside and out with water.

Mix together the packet of spices, garlic, ginger and lemon juice to create the marinade. Rub the marinade over the entire chicken, including the cavity. Make sure to get it into all the crevices of the chicken. Push the neck of the chicken to the side and stuff the opening with lemon halves. Stuff the cavity with the remaining lemon halves. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Or, if you want to make it later on in the week, you can stick it into a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze it until you want to make it.

After the chicken has marinated, place the open soda can on a heat-proof glass dish. Remove the lemons from the cavity and set the chicken upright on the can, inserting it into the cavity of the chicken.

Mix the vegetables with olive oil and salt and pepper and place around the chicken. Place lemon halves on top of the vegetables.

Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 2 hours,  Remove the chicken from the oven, discard the soda can, and cover chicken with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.