Spatchcocked chicken… the name itself is enough to make one intrigued (did I say intrigued? I meant laugh 😉 ). Spatchcocking is a method of prepping chicken so that it can be flattened, for quicker cooking and crispy skin. It’s like butterflying, but with an awesome name. Once flattened, the chicken can be grilled or cooked right in a pan- this one is cooked in a cast iron over the stove to make crisp and then in the oven to roast. It’s smothered in a thyme and red pepper rub and then cooked in a sage, lemon, garlic, shallot, and wine sauce… sound enticing yet??! It’s easy, quick (only 50 minutes cooking time, and that’s for a large bird!), and really scrumptious- and it makes great leftovers for next-day sandwiches, soups, or as is!
I served this one with balsamic roasted potatoes and asparagus (potato recipe HERE). I totally recommend trying to cook a chicken this way- I’ve made many whole roasted chickens; this way is simple and fast. And don’t let the spacthckocokng intimidate you- your butcher will happily do it for you, or you can butterfly right in your own kitchen 🙂
INGREDIENTS
1 whole chicken, about 4 – 4 1/2 lbs
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp thyme
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter or ghee
2 large shallots
5 garlic cloves
1 large rosemary sprig
6-7 fresh sage leaves
1 cup chicken broth (low-sodium or homemade)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 large lemon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Get you chicken ready…
You want it spatchcocked, or butterflied…
You can do this yourself by slicing down both sides of the backbone and removing it
or you can have your butcher do it- a much easier method… don’t be shy, they’re used to it!
Liberally season all sides of the chicken- I use 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes,
1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper on each side and then rub it all over
In a large cast iron pan (or other oven-proof pan), heat butter and oil over medium heat
The pan needs to be large enough to hold entire chicken
Place chicken in pan, skin side down (not the cut side) and brown for about ten minutes
Remove from pan and set aside
Keep 1 1/2 tbsp or so of the drippings in pan
Slice up shallots and smash garlic cloves with knife-
you don’t need to cut them, smashing releases flavor
Toss shallots and garlic in oil and cook until lightly browned, a few minutes
Add sage leaves and rosemary
Stir in wine, let cook for a couple of minutes
Then add chicken broth- start with about 1/2 cup (other half will come in shortly)
Let cook for a few more minutes
Return chicken to pan- set over sauce and herbs
Now, add the remaining chicken broth until the liquid comes
up to about 1/2 to 1 inch of chicken (for my pan-size, I needed all of the remaining 1/2 cup)
Thinly slice lemon into rounds
Place lemon slices around the chicken in the pan
Cook in oven, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes, until internal temperature
is 165 degrees and outside is nicely browned
Remove chicken from pan and let sit on plate or cutting board
Meanwhile, make the final touches on that delicious sauce…
You can strain sauce first to remove chunky pieces of lemon, herbs,
and garlic, but I like them in… do what you prefer 🙂
Taste and check for seasonings- adjust as needed
Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce begins to boil
Lower heat one boiling
Cook down until sauce is a consistency you like- mine took about ten minutes,
which is perfect because that’s about how long the chicken should sit!
Cut and carve chicken
Serve with whatever you want- potatoes and asparagus accompany it well!
Drizzle with sauce and enjoy!!
