How To Make A Spatchcock Chicken For An Elegant Dinner

If you are looking for something special to make for dinner, consider cooking a spatchcock chicken. It is a dish with a funny name that may sound difficult, but it is really quite easy. Whether you are preparing dinner for family or for company, this is a way of cooking chicken that is sure to bring you a lot of compliments.

In reality a spatchcock chicken is just a chicken that has been butterflied. It is best to have a very fresh chicken and a young one. If you prefer, your butcher can butterfly the chicken for you. But if this is something you have not done before, you may find it interesting to learn, as it is not hard.

In order to do the spatchcock operation, it will be necessary to have poultry shears. If you have one of the large and elaborate kitchen knife sets, these shears may be a part of it. If not, purchasing them on their own will be a good investment, as they are handy for a variety of cooking tasks.

Put the chicken on a cutting board in front of you, breast side down against the board. Using the shears, cut alongside the backbone, cutting right through the ribs, on both sides of the backbone, along the entire length of the chicken. Lift the backbone piece free, to be discarded or saved for making stock or used in another recipe.

Turn the chicken over, so the breast side is now up, pulling the sides apart where you removed the backbone. Press down on the breastbone with the heel of your hand until it breaks along its entire length, and the chicken can be flattened. You may wish to do this a day ahead and marinate the chicken overnight in the refrigerator using a marinade of your choice.

When it is time to cook the chicken, place it breast side up in a roasting pan. The pan should be large enough to hold the totally flattened chicken without crowding it. In a 375 F oven, roast the chicken for about fifty minutes. The internal temperature should be 165 F in the thickest area of the thigh. Using this cooking method should produce a well browned chicken with juicy meat all over, even the breast, which using conventional methods can sometimes be a little dry.

After the chicken rests for several minutes, carve it into serving pieces. Usually a good brand such as a Wusthof knife set will come with a carving knife that is ideal for this job. Garnish the carved pieces as desired, presented on a serving platter. Then enjoy your delicious creation, as well as the compliments you are going to be given for this elegant dish.

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