Spatchcock Chicken for Garlic Lovers
What the Heck is Spatchcock Chicken I hear you say?
Spatchcock essentially means to split open and flatten. The Oxford Companion to Food: “The theory is that the word is an abbreviation of ‘dispatch the cock,’ a phrase used to indicate a summary way of grilling a bird after splitting it open down the back and spreading the two halves out flat.”
Great presentation prepared and served in a well deserved pottery dish.
Ingredients
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 cloves Noble Organic garlic, minced
- 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
- 2 tsp minced fresh sage
- 2 tsp.minced fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 3 lb whole chicken
- 1.5 lbs fresh Ontario brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved
- 1.5 lbs fresh Ontario petite red potatoes, halved
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, rosemary, thyme, basil. sage, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Set aside
- Spatchcock the Chicken: Place a whole chicken breast-side down, with the legs towards you
- Using kitchen shears, cut up along each side of the backbone from end-to-end to remove it, cutting through the rib bones as you go
- Spread the chicken open and turn over. Flatten the breastbone with the heel of your hand so that the meat is all one thickness
- Using a basting brush, brush the chicken front and back
- Place chicken breast side up flat on a large rimmed baking sheet or oven safe pottery dish
- Toss the potatoes and Brussels sprouts in the remaining marinade
- Spread around the chicken in the baking dish
- Bake at 425F until the meat thermometer reads 165F, about 35-40 minutes
NOTE: A couple of whole bulbs of Noble Organic garlic can be added to the dish for a great presentation. Cut the top off of the bulbs exposing the flesh of the cloves, place among the vegetables and drizzle with a tablespoon of oil. The roasted garlic is delicious used as a spread on accompanying bread or desired side dish. Bon appetit!