Welcome to Cooking With Hooch!


I'll be sharing recipes, ideas and tips on using alcoholic spirits to liven up your cooking. I'm not a chef, I'm not a nutritionist (obviously!) I'm just a fun gal who loves a good cocktail and loves to cook.

I know this may seem silly, but let’s clear up a few things before we begin. Some people call making a nicoise salad cooking. And I guess it is. Technically. At least according to Dictionary.com.

Dictionary.com defines cooking as both a noun;
1. The act of a person or thing that cooks.
2. The art or practice of preparing food: cookery.

And an adjective:
3. used in preparing foods: a cooking utensil.
4. fit to eat when cooked.

We are going to go with definition 2. Although I do wonder what they mean by “thing” in definition 1. We are also going to go with definition 4 as the desired outcome of these recipes.

What is Hooch?

I could tell you the historical origin having to do with American Soldiers in Alaska in 1867, who, when denied whisky, decided to make their own. And go on about how they somehow got involved with an Indian tribe called “Hoochino” and the beverage they concocted became known as ‘hooch.”

But for now, let’s be more technical.

Dictionary.com defines “hooch” as a noun, Slang
1. Alcoholic Liquor
2. Liquor illicitly distilled and distributed.

Ok, for the record, I won’t be using any “illicitly distilled and distributed” liquor in any of the recipes on this blog. (Unless I can get back to my home state of Kentucky and hook up with some redneck marijuana growers and corn mash distillers at some point. But I digress.)

Whew, now that I have cleared up what’s what and what the heck we’re doing, let’s get on with doing it!


Beer Butt Chicken

Some people call this dish “Beer Roasted Chicken” or “Beer Can Chicken”. Paula Deen calls it “Beer in the Rear Chicken”, but I think my title is the best, and more to the point. (Although my friend, Kirk, had another very colorful title, but I thought it was a little too explicit for this blog. Imagine!)

You will need:

A Chicken
A Can of Beer
Salt
Pepper
Seasoned Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Cumin
(you could also add garlic powder, minced onion, or chili powder)

Turn on your oven to 350. Rinse the chicken thoroughly inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Place on a cutting board, or other food safe surface. Combine all of the seasonings in a small bowl or ramekin. I don’t give measurements for the seasonings, because I think you need to go by what you or your guests prefer. Some people like more salt, some like more pepper, some people are allergic to cumin, whatever. Adjust the amount to what you like. You’re the one who is going to be eating this, right? However for those of you who really need explicit directions here is what I suggest: ½ teaspoon of each seasoning. Rub the combined seasonings all over the bird, including underneath the breast skin and inside the cavity.

Open the can of beer and take 3 but no more than 4 good swigs. Take a bottle opener and punch 2 other openings in the top of the beer can. Set the can in a roasting pan, and carefully push/pull the chicken down over the beer can. Pull the legs forward if you need to balance the chicken. Place the impaled chicken in the oven and cook for the appropriate length of time, depending on the size of your bird. A 5 to 6 lb chicken requires from 1 ¾ to 2 hours. A 6 to 8 lb chicken requires 2 to 2 ½ hours. The chicken will be done when the juices run clear when you pierce it with a knife or fork. Or you could use a meat thermometer, which should be inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, and reads 180 degrees.

When the chicken is done, remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken from its position atop the beer can, keeping in mind that the can will be very hot. Discard the hot beer, and cut up the chicken.

Serve the chicken with cold beer, and my Horseradish Hard Cider Coleslaw. (Recipe coming soon.)