spatchcocked chicken

After having done it once, I will never cook a whole chicken any other way. If I had a big enough roasting pan/oven, I would cook every Thanksgiving turkey this way too. There really is no better way to cook a whole bird - every inch of skin gets golden brown and crispy, the breast is always moist; every part of the bird is tasty and succulent. And, it takes less time than roasting an entire bird, on top of creating less of a mess. 

spatchcocked chicken
makes 4 servings

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 - 4 lbs)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Combine salt, curry powder, paprika and olive oil into a paste. 

Turn the bird breast side down. Using the shears or scissors, cut on either side of the backbone to remove it (see pic). If you've never spatchcocked a chicken before, I recommend watching this video tutorial first. You can freeze the backbone for use in a stock later on.

Pull the bird open wider and note the white section of sternum bone/cartilage in the center of the breast. With a sharp knife cut a deep notch in the top of it--you'll feel the soft spot--then press on the breast to flatten it.

Working in a rimmed sheet pan, smear half of the paste all over the flesh side of the chicken, then flip the bird over so that the skin side is up, and arrange the legs so that they look knock-kneed (see the cooked photo at the top). Smear the rest of the paste all over the skin.

Roast the chicken in the middle of a preheated 450°F oven until it registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh and the breast, which takes about 35 to 40 minutes.

Let the roast rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving it. The resting time is crucial to let the juices seep from the surface back into the interior of the meat.