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Spatchcocked Herbed Grilled Chicken
One of the easiest and quickest ways to cook a whole chicken is to spatchcock it, a technique not often used in this country for some reason.
Technique: Place the chicken breast side down. With kitchen shears or a very sharp knife, cut along one side of the backbone from one end to the other. Repeat on the other side. Either discard the backbone or save it for stock. Turn the chicken over and press down firmly to flatten the bird. That’s it! The chicken will cook in a much shorter time than whole.
1 chicken, about 3 lbs.
olive oil
a handful of fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, chives mixed is a good combination)
salt and black pepper
Coat the chicken with olive oil.
Chop the herbs roughly and press them into the chicken on both sides, with a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter for 1 hour. Unless it’s sweltering there is no need to refrigerate.
When ready to grill, cook slowly over medium heat, turning the bird with tongs every 10 minutes. After ½ hour test with a skewer. If the juice is clear, the chicken is done.
You can now cut it in half or quarters and serve.
Suggested accompaniments: roasted potatoes and a green salad.
Serves 4
Editor's Note: We took Tony's word for it that spatchcocked is really a word....since it is likely that Tony probably knows more words than anyone we know! While just the word itself sounds like an ordeal, it is so easy and the chicken cooks more quickly as Tony mentions, and also evenly. Result--juicy, delicious, herbaceous!!! For those cooking for one, I would absolutely try this recipe with leg/thigh parts.
