My New Favorite Way to Cook a Whole Chicken- The Joy and Ease of Spatchcocking

 

 

I love the word: spatchcock. It sounds a little dirty and very intriguing. But it isn’t either– it’s just easy and smart.

This is the way to have a whole, golden, crisp-skinned roast chicken on a weeknight; with about 10 minutes of work and another 35 minutes in the oven (while you are off having a glass of wine, giving someone little and giggly a bath or hopefully not folding laundry) chicken nirvana is yours. It’s just so easy, and so delectable and satisfying.

If you want to see a video demo of how to spatchcock and cook chicken, head over to Craftsy.com, to my Cooking Essentials: All About Chicken class. Use this link for a half price discount for my readers. Or, just go by the recipe below– I like to think it is easy to follow. It all depends on your learning style, I guess. Either way: Go. Spatchcock. It will forever change your relationship with chicken.
 

Skillet-Roasted Spatchcocked Rosemary Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 4-pound chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
5 sprigs rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Rub the olive oil over the inside surface of the skillet. Cast iron is ideal, but any oven proof skillet will work.

2. To butterfly or spatchcock the chicken you need to remove the backbone. Cut along each side of the backbone; discard the bone (or set it aside for stock) and open the chicken up like a book. While it is lying skin-side facing down on your work surface, score the cartilage that runs down the center (do not cut through to the meat) so the chicken lies perfectly flat. (Sometimes you need only cut through the little bit of cartilage at the end for it to lie flat.) Flip the bird over and season the skin with about half the salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium high. When it is hot but not yet smoking, place the bird skin side down in the skillet. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Let it brown without moving it until it no longer sticks to the pan surface and is a lovely golden color, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

4. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth and chopped rosemary; cook, scraping the bits from the pan surface until the liquid is reduced by half and somewhat milky looking, about 1-2 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet with the skin side facing up and place the rosemary sprigs on and around the chicken. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone) registers 170F, about 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition for each serving: 374 calories, 6 g saturated fat, 38 g protein

I am supplying you with the following information, but it is in no way an endorsement. It is just good information to have. You can do the entire recipe above, starting with a 4-pound chicken, but removing the skin, and the nutrition will change to the following:

210 calories, 2 g saturated fat, 28 g protein

Serves 4