Spatchcocked Roast Chicken with Gravy

Chicken is an incredibly versatile protein. For Sundays I typically like to cook a whole chicken because it allows for leftovers for work, as well as a lot of extras for my toddler. Another reason is because cooking a whole chicken is usually seen as too time-consuming for a weekday, especially after working all day. Luckily, this recipe helps eliminate a large portion of wait time from cooking a whole chicken, and delivers a chicken that is evenly cooked, crispy skin, AND still juicy.

My first experiences with spatchcocking was when I spatchcocked my Thanksgiving turkey one year. From then, it has become a favorite method of cooking poultry when I want the roasted chicken flavor but without having to settle for a soggy skin. This recipe uses a very traditional herb blend for poultry. However, you should consider the spatchcocking method as a base and not an anchor. Feel free to jazz up this recipe with your own additional spices or seasonings. It is your kitchen, after all!

Yield: about 8 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hr 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken:
1 whole roaster chicken w/ backbone removed*
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Kosher salt, black pepper

For the gravy:
Chicken backbone, chopped into large pieces
½ onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 baby carrots (or 1 large carrot, chopped)
4 garlic cloves
2 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp gravy browning (optional)
Kosher salt, black

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil and all the dried seasonings (thyme, oregano, rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon zest, cayenne pepper). Set aside.
3. To flatten/”spatchcock” the chicken: on a flat surface (a cutting board or baking sheet) place the chicken on its back end and open it up. Press firmly on the breastbone to crack and flatten the chicken. 
4. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and sit a wire rack on top. Sit the chicken on the wire rack.
5. Rub your oil mixture under and on the skin of the chicken. Do not forget the wings when doing this (or under the skin of the thighs)! Season to your taste with salt and pepper.
6. Place chicken in oven and let cook until chicken breast temperature registers at 150-155 degrees and/or chicken thigh temperature registers at 165 degrees. This will take around 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you feel that the chicken is browning too quickly, lower your oven temperature to 425 degrees (also expect a slightly longer cook time).
7. As your chicken is in the oven, brown chicken backbone in a medium sized stock pot over medium heat. 
8. When backbone is brown, sauté in onion, celery, carrot, and garlic for 3-5 minutes. 
9. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add in thyme and the bay leaf and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes.
10. Strain your stock of the larger vegetables and meat pieces then return to the pot. Let come to a low boil.
11. Add in butter, lemon juice, gravy browning, and let stock reduce slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. 
12. Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes before carving.

Recipe Tips

• To remove the backbone: you will need kitchen shears or poultry shears. You are literally cutting the back out. I typically use the hanging butt part of the chicken (you know what I’m talking about lol) to determine where to cut. If the neck is intact, you can also use that to determine. The backbone can be cut out relatively easy. If you’re facing a lot of resistance from the bones while cutting, you may be cutting too far away from the backbone.
• For the herb oil, feel free to use fresh herbs instead of dried herbs. 
• Many people may be nervous about cooking at such a high heat. The high heat is what helps the chicken cook faster, in addition to the spatchcocked shape. If your oven allows, you can also cook the chicken at 500 degrees for an even shorter cooking time (around 30 minutes).