my luxe addiction

As you may already know, I have been poultry impaired. You could call me a fowl fouler. But the simple technique of spatchcocking (aka butterflying) is my new foolproof method to make sure my chicken is well-roasted. The meat, white and dark, is perfectly cooked, and it’s done in about half the time of a whole chicken. This recipe takes that bird to a whole other level. Softened butter laced with fragrant white truffles is massaged under and over the skin of the chicken to help produce the most tender and juicy flesh you ever tasted. Truly a decadent dish: the truffle butter (which is addictive!) is a splurge, but you’ll have leftovers to use on pasta, vegetables, potatoes…. Treat yourself. It is the holidays, after all.

Truffle Butter Spatchcocked Chicken

This simple roast has only a few, albeit pricey, components. I already mentioned the butter, which I usually find in the cheese department of my market in a tiny 3 ounce container. If you really want to gild the lily, you could also finish the bird with a bit of truffle salt before serving. As with anything you cook, the better your ingredients, the better your result. I always buy organic free range chicken and brine it before cooking–overnight or even for just a few hours.
 


Bring your chicken to room temperature before preparing. Don’t be intimidated by splitting open the bird. It’s not hard once you get the hang of it. You’ll have an easier time if you have a sharp pair of poultry shears, but a boning or carving knife will work as well. 


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the bird breast side down on a cutting board. Using your shears or knife, cut along one side of the backbone from end to end. Cut along the other side and remove the backbone.


Turn the chicken over and push down on the breast bone to flatten it. Tuck the wing tips behind.


Gently slide your fingers under the skin and coax it away from the flesh of the chicken breast, as well as around the legs and thighs.


Place clumps of softened butter under the skin of each breast and each leg/thigh, massaging it in as you go. Smear the remaining butter over the top of the bird, then season liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.


Place chicken in roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes.


Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Baste the bird with pan juices and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until it is cooked through and golden brown. 


Place on a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into quarters. Sprinkle with truffle salt for a lavish finish. Enjoy the indulgence, but watch out–you’ll get hooked!


Serves 4:

4 pound chicken
1 to 2 tablespoons white truffle butter, softened
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
truffle salt (optional)

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By passioneats | 12.20.2012 | Butter, Chicken, Roasting, Truffle |

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