Weeknight Roast Chicken i.e. spatchcock chicken
What if I were to tell you roasted chicken doesn't have to be a thing reserved for Sunday dinner when you have time to cook a whole chicken? A few minutes prepping the bird will cut your cooking time by around HALF, and all you need is a pair of shears and a sharp knife. Works great with turkey too, you can safely ditch that giant roaster that gets used once a year, most turkey will fit on a standard half sheet tray lined with a rack.
Spatchcock Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
1 2-3 lb chicken
2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced rosemary, sage and thyme
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
Method
Spatchcock the chicken: place bird on cutting board, breast side down. With a pair of sharp kitchen shears cut down both sides of the backbone and remove it (save it for stock!)
Score the inside of the breastbone/cartilage with a sharp knife. Turn the chicken breast side up and push firmly in the center of the breast. It should crack and lay flat. (See pictures below)
Combine seasonings and coat both sides of the chicken evenly.
Place the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan fitted with a wire rack and refrigerate, uncovered overnight. While this is an optional step it is key in getting that crispy delicious skin, and the flavors will have sufficient time to permeate the meat before cooking.
About an hour before cooking time, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, cover with a tea towel or paper toweling if necessary. If desired, cut veggies and arrange under the rack to catch the drippings and stop them from potentially burning to the pan. The veggies can be eaten as a delicious side to the chicken (think cabbage slices) or used to make a soup or stock (carrots, onions and celery)
Preheat the oven or grill to 400f, place the chicken (rack and roasting pan included) in the oven and bake until the temperature hits 165 on an instant read thermometer. About 45-55 minutes for the average young chicken. Set aside to rest for a few minutes before cutting in to allow the juices to redistribute before cutting into it.
