Spatchcock Roasted Chicken Recipe

Spatchcock Roasted Chicken Recipe

This roasted chicken recipe is a quick way of roasting a chicken since removing the backbone and flattening the bird allows for faster cooking.  The potatoes and garlic cloves roast along with the chicken in the pan and develop a delicious crust.

Serves 4

Spatchcock Roasted Chicken Recipe

Spatchcock Roasted Chicken Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • One 3 - 4 lb. whole fryer chicken
  • 3 to 4 larger red potatoes or about 1 ½ lbs of the smaller round red potatoes cut into bite size pieces with skin left on
  • 12 whole cloves of garlic peeled
  • Salt and pepper
  • Two Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon butter

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425º F.
  • With sharp kitchen shears (or carefully using a sharp knife), cut out the backbone of the chicken on each side of the spine. Cut off the wing tip sections (the outermost third portion of the wings) since they will tend to burn while roasting. Press the chicken with the bottom of a big skillet to flatten it out. Trim away any excess fat and skin.
  • Salt and pepper the chicken all over.
  • Heat the oil in a large (12”) cast iron skillet on the stove top until very hot. Add the butter and swirl until melted.
  • Lay the chicken into the hot pan, breast side down. Make sure the chicken is laying flat so it browns evenly on the legs and thighs.
  • Let the chicken sear for 5 to 7 minutes to develop a crust on the skin. A spatter screen is helpful here since the oil tends to pop out of the pan.
  • Using large kitchen tongs, carefully turn the chicken over to have the breast side up without breaking the skin.
  • Nestle the potatoes in around the chicken and scatter in the garlic cloves. Carefully turn the potatoes to coat them with oil - or use a small spoon to baste them along with the garlic.
  • Sprinkle a little salt and pepper around on the potatoes.
  • Using two pot holders and both hands, carefully place the skillet into the preheated oven.
  • Roast for 55 minutes to one hour. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken breast has reached at least 155ºF to 160ºF.
  • Again using two pot holders and both hands, carefully remove the skillet from the oven and let the chicken and potatoes rest for 20 minutes in the skillet before carving. During the resting period, the temperature of the bird will rise another 10 degrees.

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