There is a delicious anticipation when a whole, spatchcocked chicken comes to the table. Its crispy skin and juicy meat are all displayed on a platter with glistening pan juices.
Find a quiet day and a couple of chickens and you will master this cut, follow my guide on how to spatchcock a chicken. Once mastered, a whole roasted chicken, turkey, and duck is within your grasp any day of the week. You can also use a cut up chicken for this recipe.
Spatchcocked Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon
Servings
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 whole chickens
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 2 lemons thinly sliced
- 4 rosemary sprigs
- 2 cups white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- Garnishes: roasted lemon slices chopped parsley
- Equipment: sharp knife or kitchen shears
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Spatchcock the chicken: Hold chicken on a cutting board with the backbone facing you and the neck down on the cutting board. Using your knife or shears, cut on either side of the backbone. Save the bone for chicken stock.
- Lay chicken on the board and open it like a book. Remove ribs with your fingers. Do the same for the remaining chicken.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or sauté pan, lightly coated with evoo, over medium-high heat. Pat dry chicken and season with salt and pepper.
- Brown chicken on skin side until dark and crispy, about 7 minutes. Flip chicken over or transfer to a casserole dish, and add garlic, lemon slices, rosemary, white wine, and chicken stock. Roast chickens, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board or serving platter, reserving lemon slices. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Bring pan with juices over high heat and reduce until it turns into a glaze. Pour over the chicken and garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley.
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