my cross to bear no more

I have a confession to make. I am roast chicken challenged. Despite all the cooking skill and technique I’ve developed over the years, I have been consistently unable to make a roasted whole chicken that is properly cooked. No matter how I try, I always manage to turn out a bird that is either underdone or overdone. The irony in this situation is that I am quite adept at producing a juicy 25 pound turkey on Thanksgiving, year after year. But for some reason, the same technique on that little bird eludes me. It can be quite embarrassing.

So I have finally decided to abandon my efforts and go for a new approach–spatchcocking, or butterflying the bird. Once butterflied, a chicken roasts much more evenly, and in a lot less time. Recently, I was happy to discover a new recipe developed by food writer, Amanda Hesser, on her blog, food52. It’s a brilliant technique: first sear the chicken to caramelize the skin, then braise-roast it in the oven so that the meat remains moist and juicy. Finally–a recipe for success!

Spatchcocked Braise-Roasted Chicken with                         Pan Roasted Yukon Gold Wedges

 

 

I always begin preparing chicken by brining it. Now this is not as fancy as it sounds–simply immerse your chicken in a solution of water, lots of kosher salt and some sugar. You can do it overnight, or you can do it for just 20 minutes, if that’s all you’ve got. Brining will help the skin on the chicken to crisp and the meat to be more juicy. Be sure to rinse the chicken after brining, and pat dry with paper towels.

 

To butterfly or spatchcock a chicken, turn the chicken breast side down and, using poultry shears or a sharp boning knife, cut through either side of the backbone. Turn the bird breast side up and flatten by cracking the breast bone with your hands–it’s easy to do. Season well with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. I’m using a 4 pound bird here, to feed 4 people.
 
 
Sear the chicken skin side down in a nice heavy pan heated with a mix of olive oil and a touch of butter. This will give it a lovely golden color and crunch–then remove it from the pan. Add thinly sliced shallots and garlic to the fat in the pan and cook until golden; then deglaze with wine or sherry and reduce slightly, add herbs (I use thyme, rosemary and tarragon) and the thin slices of one lemon.



Put the chicken back into the pan skin side up. Add chicken stock to come up about 1/2 inch in the pan (about 1 cup) and put into a 425 degree oven to braise for 30-40 minutes.

 



While my chicken was braise-roasting, I prepared our favorite pan roasted Yukon Gold potatoes. I use the larger variety of these potatoes–one per customer. Simply cut them into wedges, season and add to a pan heated with olive oil–in this case, I used my trusty workhorse, my cast iron pan. Add some sprigs of rosemary and a few smashed garlic cloves. Cook on the stovetop until the wedges start to brown, then stick them in the oven next to the chicken to cook for  another 30 minutes or so. Be sure to remove the pan midway and flip the wedges so that both of the cut surfaces get nicely browned.

 

The chicken is done when a meat thermometer stuck into the meaty part of the thigh reads 170-180 degrees. The sauce should be nice and thick, the lemon slices cooked through. Carve the chicken into quarters and be sure to douse each portion with the pan sauce and lemon slices. Along with the Yukon Gold wedges, a simple green salad with crumbled feta makes a nice accompaniment.




Adapted from Amanda Hesser/food 52
Serves 4:

1 – 4 pound chicken, preferably organic
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup dry white wine or sherry
2 sprigs each rosemary, thyme, tarragon
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade or low sodium
4 large Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
2 to 3 smashed garlic cloves


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By passioneats | 2.03.2011 | Brining, Chicken, Garlic, Herbs, Lemons, Potatoes, Roasting, Shallot, Stock, Wine |

3 thoughts on “my cross to bear no more”

  1. leonwriter

    Chicken – if prepared thoughfully can be a meal of distinction that feeds your soul, in my case, reminds me of the special Friday night meals at home and satisfies a deep longing for something familiar and comforting.
    Your recipe is the perfect blend of spices and aromas that trigger all of the above. Rosemary and garlic amplify the taste of a well cooked chiken and there is nothing better than roasted potatoes to compliment that dish.
    Great recipe Pennie.

  2. Nina

    I love that butterfly method too…this recipe looks yummy – can’t wait to try it. I’ll use the thermometer next time – I always have trouble telling when chicken is done!