Spatchcock Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Place chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Starting at the tail end, cut along both sides of backbone with kitchen shears. Remove backbone. Grabbing hold of both sides of the chicken, open it like a book. Turn breast side up. Push down on each side of breast with your hands until you hear it crack. Flatten chicken and transfer to one short end of the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second chicken.
• Combine salt, tarragon, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in oil. Run your fingers under chicken skin and rub tarragon paste under skin. Slide lemon slices under skin, in a single layer.
• Roast until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast reads 165 degrees F, about 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting each chicken into 8 pieces.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Rinse the chicken, pat dry and rub all over with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Generously season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Cook until the skin starts to crisp on the edges and the color is golden brown. Flip the chicken over with tongs, taking care not to splatter oil toward yourself, and add the garlic, rosemary and thyme around the chicken in the pan. Squeeze a lemon half over the top and place both lemon halves in the pan, cut sides down.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the chicken (skin side up) for 30 to 35 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 155˚ F when inserted in the thickest part of a breast. Let rest for about 10 minutes, then carve and serve with pan juices.

Steps:

• Place chicken on a flat surface breast side down, legs facing away from you.
• With kitchen shears or a very sharp knife, cut out the neck bone all the way to the butt by cutting down one side of the neck bone and then repeat on the other side.
• Turn chicken over and press flat, season and grill or bake as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Lay the chicken on a cutting board breast-side down, with the legs closest to you. Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone. Open the chicken like a book to reveal the ribs and sternum. Use a chef's knife to score the sternum vertically down the center, then use your hands and body weight to crack the sternum and flatten the breasts and rib cage. Season the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper.
• Lay the thyme sprigs in the center of a rimmed baking sheet and place the chicken on top, skin-side up. Roast the chicken until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 40 minutes.
• Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Cut out back bone from chicken. Open flat and remove breast bone. If you wish, cut slits in the skin between the white and dark meat and insert chicken drumsticks for a neat presentation.
• In a bowl combine olive oil, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic. Place chicken in the dish or plastic bag and coat well. Marinate 10 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• To roast, place chicken, skin side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in a preheated 375F (190C) oven for approximately 45 minutes to one hour or until golden brown and a meat thermometer reads 165F (75C) when inserted into a thigh.
• To grill chicken, place bone side down on a hot grill for 5 minutes. Turn and cook skin side down for a few minutes to brown. Place chicken bone side down on indirect heat now (cooler place on the grill) and cook 30 to 45 minutes longer until cooked through.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F.
• Toss vegetables with 2 Tbsp. dressing; set aside.
• Use kitchen shears or sharp knife to spatchcock chicken. (See tip.)
• Open chicken butterfly style; place, skin side up, on work surface. Brush 1/2 the remaining dressing evenly onto chicken, then brush remaining dressing under chicken skin.
• Cover large rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Place bread cubes in single layer on center of prepared baking sheet.
• Place chicken, skin side down, on bread. Spoon vegetables around chicken.
• Roast 30 min. Carefully turn chicken over. Stir vegetables. Roast additional 30 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove from oven. Let stand 10 min.
• Transfer chicken to cutting board; cut into pieces. Spoon bread mixture onto platter; stir in nuts and cranberries. Top with chicken.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450ºF.
• Mix dressing, garlic and rosemary until blended. Place potatoes in large bowl. Add 1/4 cup dressing mixture; toss to evenly coat potatoes. Spread into single layer on foil-covered rimmed baking sheet.
• Use kitchen shears or sharp knife to spatchcock chicken. (See tip.) Open chicken butterfly-style; place, skin side up, on separate foil-covered rimmed baking sheet. Brush chicken, on and under the skin, with remaining dressing mixture.
• Bake chicken and potatoes 30 min., placing potatoes on top rack. Reduce oven temperature to 400ºF. Bake an additional 15 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF) and potatoes are tender.

Steps:

• To spatchcock the chicken, flip it over so the backbone is facing you. Using a sturdy pair of kitchen scissors or poultry scissors, cut down either side of the backbone, then discard. Turn the chicken over and push down firmly on the breastbone to flatten out the bird. Make a few slashes in each leg joint. You can watch a video showing how to spatchcock a chicken in the How To Cook section of the website).
• Put the chillies and garlic in a food processor with a good pinch of salt, or use a pestle and mortar. Blend to a paste, then add the paprika, vinegar, parsley and olive oil. Mix well, then smear over the chicken. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hr or overnight if possible. Can be frozen at this stage.
• Fire up the barbecue. When the flames have died down, place the chicken on the centre of the barbecue, skin-side down, and cook for 15-20 mins until nicely charred. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking for another 5-15 mins until cooked through. Check that the juices run clear, as the heat of every barbecue will vary. To cook in the oven, heat to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook for 35-40 mins on a baking tray. To char the skin, grill for a further 5-10 mins. Serve with lemon wedges, and Tabasco if you like it hot.