Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken


Spatchcocked. I hate that word. I've read a bunch of posts about this method of cooking and a lot of people said that they love this word and think it's funny. For me it's a mouthful and I'd rather say butterflied. In essence it's the same thing. The backbone is removed and the breast bone is broken so the chicken lays flat. This results in an even cooked, juicy and golden brown bird all over! No more flabby skin on the thighs!

There isn't an actual recipe for this and so I'm going to write this post very casually. I made this recipe very simply and took a cue from another blog The Italian Dish. In addition I mixed 2 cloves of garlic with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, salt and some fresh thyme and rubbed it under the skin. I think this also helped the skin to crisp up and of course, added some flavor. I rubbed the outside of the bird with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, the juice of 1 lemon and the juice of one orange. I thought I'd taste the citrus flavor more but I didn't. It was tasty but I couldn't pick out the citrus specifically. Maybe I'll up it a little next time. I roasted the chicken on a cookie sheet topped with a cooling rack at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. There was a lot of delicious drippings on the bottom of the pan and I didn't want to waste them so I made a quick gravy to go along with it.





This was a great method for cooking a whole chicken. It was indeed crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. I've seen that this can also be made on the outside grill! Can't wait to try that when the weather allows!

8 comments:

Lyndas recipe box said...

This is a delicious looking chicken...I haven't tried this method of cooking yet, so I need to try your version.

Delicious Dishings said...

I keep thinking about cooking chicken like this. It looks great! And I hate that word too.

Claudia said...

I love the look of it - all crisp and browned outside. Delicious! Now onward to grilling season!

Patti T. said...

At our house we always rub chicken or turkey with oranges and then stuff them with lemons, onion and oranges. It really doesn't lend an overpowering flavor but people always ask what our secret ingredient is. You never notice it in the gravy either. I think I will try the spatchcocked version when it is a tad warmer outside on the grill.

Miss Meat and Potatoes said...

I have rarely been able to make roast chicken look so lovely, much less a spatchcocked one! And I agree - this would be so lovely on the grill. Thanks for sharing!

Shane T. Wingerd said...

It looks absolutely divine Michele.

I am with you though, I don't like that word, it's cumbersome. LOL

I like your choice of Butterflied much better. That way, if you want it to sound French you can always say Papillon (pap-ee-yown) Chicken... ;)

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I made this once and made a mess of it, burning it to bits. I've got to try making it like yours.

Donna@Conghaile Cottage said...

I'm your newest FOLLOWER! I can never pass up a blog that talks about Grandmothers! I would LOVE if you'd peek in on me and FOLLOW if you'd Like! NOW the chicken. DELICIOUS and I agree with butterflied! If you want to taste the citrus more try using grate peel instead of the juice. When you coated the chicken with olive oil the juice just bounced off. I also would put the grated peel under the skin with your other goodies. If you use fresh it is POWERFUL so adjust it too taste. I usually like to serve this dish with brown rice and raisins. LOVE "Your Spatchcocked Chicken"!!! I am so happy I found your blog. Hugs, Donna