by amanda
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my 118 recipes »
Photo by Sarah Shatz
One 4 to 4 1/2 pound chicken Ask a question about this ingredient
Salt and freshly ground black pepper Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient
2 large shallots, sliced Ask a question about this ingredient
4 garlic cloves, lightly smashed (skins left on) Ask a question about this ingredient
2 rosemary sprigs Ask a question about this ingredient
8 sage leaves Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup fino sherry or dry white wine Ask a question about this ingredient
About 1 cup chicken broth Ask a question about this ingredient
1 lemon, cut into thin slices (skin left on; seeds discarded) Ask a question about this ingredient
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Using poultry shears, cut the backbone out of the chicken. Reserve the backbone. Turn the chicken skin-side-up and press down on the breast bone to flatten the chicken. Generously season the chicken all over.
Ask a question about this stepIn a casserole pan or other low shallow pan large enough to fit the flattened chicken, melt the butter in the oil over medium high heat. When the foam subsides, add the chicken skin-side-down, and the backbone, and brown well, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove to a plate. Pour off all but 1 1/2 tablespoons fat.
Ask a question about this stepSet the pan back on the stove. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook over medium heat until the shallot has softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rosemary, sage and sherry. Increase the heat and boil off nearly all the sherry. Add 1 cup chicken broth and the lemon slices. Gently lower the chicken back into the pan, again skin-side up.
Ask a question about this stepIf needed, add more broth to come 1/2-inch up the side of the pan. Transfer the pan to the oven, and braise-roast until the chicken is cooked through (an internal temperature of 165 degrees), 30 to 50 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepTransfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes -- uncovered, or the skin will soften! Carve the bird. Strain the pan juices and adjust the seasoning. Serve bird and cooked-down broth, and enjoy!
Ask a question about this stepMade this for dinner tonight along with barley risotto. So quick and tasty...the sauce was divine.
Thanks for this recipe, which was very easy after I faced the step where I had to cut out the backbone. I don't have poultry shears, but a sharp chef's knife worked. The fIavor was wonderful. I used the convection feature on my oven, which I rarely do, and the skin was super crisp. And, yes, the carving was a snap!
I'm glad to know it doesn't dry out in a convection oven. I have convection but haven't tried it.
This was my first time every cooking a whole chicken, and it turned out better than I could have imagined. Thank you for the excellent, well written recipe!
Thanks for the great feedback -- and congrats on your first whole chicken success!
I used a 12" iron skillet and it worked like a charm. Great recipe, Amanda! I'm so glad to have a new go-to chicken recipe.
A skillet is a great idea -- the pan you see in the photo is a Le Creuset oval casserole dish (enameled cast iron, not ceramic). Hope this is helpful.
As a dutiful bf, I'm baking a test chicken right now for when my gf visits. The aromas alone are enough to....well.....I think my gf will enjoy when I make it for her soon! Thanks!
made 4 of these last night - again a truly outstanding dish that is perfect for a crowd. Thank you Amanda!
4 -- wow! That's a new record -- really glad you like it so much!
Stupid question- since its braised do you cover it in oven? I made this before and it's wonderful but I forget if it's covered!
I made this for dinner tonight and loved it! I roast chicken about once a week, and I feel like I've tried every technique out there, but this method may become my new go-to. The chicken was so flavorful from the braising liquid and I love that the skin stays crispy. A great, great recipe.
I love this. But...What if you were going to spatcock a big turkey for a family dinner and wanted to make it the same way? For a 20 ibs turkey would it simply be 5X the recipe? I love the whole spatchcock method so to do a turkey in less time with this flavor...I need to know. Would the cooking time change, seasoning change - especially if it is a heritage bird or seasonings more attuned to turkey meat than chicken. All ideas are welcome. Thanksgiving is not far away!
I would do two smaller turkeys rather than 1 large, and would then triple the butter and oil and quadruple the aromatics, using half the ingredients for each bird. One thing you'll need to adjust is the liquid. In step 4, I specified how far up in the pan the broth should come, so you may need more or less liquid depending on the dimensions of the pan (or pans) you use. Hope it turns out well!
This was amazing, I made it friday and my boyfriend could not stop eating it. Every piece was delicious. We grilled asparagus and potato's to go with it, while the asparagus was perfect, the potato's were not quite ready so, while the chicken rested we put the potato's in the juices turned up the heat, the sauce thickened and the potato's came out perfect too.
i love spatchcocking chicken. its my fave. theres more to a chicken than just its name.
Though I love the method, a light bulb went off when I tasted the sauce: if you use whole lemons with the peel it will make the sauce bitter and that's what happened. If I make this again I will only use only the lemon zest!
I made this with some regular lemons, at a time when I had blossoms but no lemons on my Meyer lemon tree; we too found the sauce a bit bitter (though I didn't mind it much, as my shallots were sweet and my white wine not very dry). I've also made it with Meyers, which were perfect. If you go with just using the zest, don't forget to add the juice of the lemon as well. This is one of my favorite methods of cooking chickens these days. I use this technique all the time, with a variety of different ingredients playing supporting roles. ;o)
I used this method, but substituted the basic ingredients in Merrill's Chicken with Sausage, White Wine and Artichokes, http://www.food52.com/recipes/4168_chicken_with_sausage_white_wine_and_artichokes, adding about 2 ounces of garlicky kielbasa in addition to the Italian sausage. Without question, it was one of the most scrumptious roast chickens I've ever prepared. Served the leftover sausage slices, artichoke hearts and sauce over polenta for lunch. In a word, sensational (both the dinner and the lunch!). ;o)
I have been meaning to make this for a while, and finally scored a chicken worthy of the recipe. What I love are the straightforward, precise and clear directions, which totally carried me through to a great result! The Spouse is still moaning in delight!
LOL..."winged it"....I've only recently started butterflying chickens, and love the technique!
I made this tonight & it was absolutely delicious. My oven was in use, so I cooked it 100% in the skillet on the stovetop. I didn't get that beautiful crispy skin, but the meat was juicy & very flavorful (with no splatters to clean up in the oven.) Thanks for a simple recipe with lovely flavor.
I made this tonight, and it was fabulous! I love this technique...I used my cast iron skillet. This is a fun change from plain-old roasting, and it makes a great sauce- in half the time. Thanks!
This is a delicious recipe. I too am a fan of Hammersley's chicken, and have made it a few times at home. Your recipe really simplifies the process, but still retains the great flavor.
Have made this twice now - just delicious and so attractive to serve!
I don't think I'll ever roast a chicken any other way. I've made this twice since it appeared, each time with a juicy flavorful outcome, though I didn't brown the chicken first. I'd like to try duck but am concerned that the duck will end up floating in a tub of fat. Do you think steaming the duck first is a good way to go?
I think it might be better to cook the duck this way a day in advance. Let it cool and refrigerate the duck and sauce separately. In the morning, there should be a solid layer of fat on top of the sauce -- then you can spoon this off and discard it, and you'll be left with a much purer sauce. Then reheat the duck and sauce for dinner.
Have made this twice & will be making again tonight. Used Madeira as the spirit - once the rosemary and sage are added the aroma is awesome. Even my non-chicken eating son admitted this was delicious. Thanks!
I'm going to try it with Madeira -- sounds like the sweetness will nicely balance the tart of the lemons.
I just made this for my dad to cheer him up and it was the easiest and most savory dish I've had in a while. What a pleasure to prepare and share! I bet the leftovers are going to be just amazing. Thank you!
Made this tonight for dinner and it was really wonderful! And oh so easy!! Thanks for another great recipe!!
Glad you like it -- thanks for letting me know!
Just wondering if I should be basting the chicken periodically with the liquid? Thanks!
How do I print this recipe - there seems to be no link to do so
Stephanie is the Head Recipe Tester of Food52.
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Getting my aromatics ready: sliced shallots, rosemary, smashed garlic cloves, sage, and a sliced lemon.
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Now to the spatchcocking -- I use chicken shears to cut the backbone out of the chicken.
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You want to cut down one side of the backbone, as close to it as possible, so you don't lose any meat.
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Cutting along the other side of the backbone is easier because you can open the bird.
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After removing the backbone, flip the bird over and press down on the breast to flatten the chicken.
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Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper -- I like a coarse grind of pepper.
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Here, I'm browning the chicken, skin-side-down in a mixture of butter and oil. I did this in the same casserole that I planned to braise-roast the bird in.
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My browned bird! Note that I didn't throw away the backbone. I browned it, also, and added it to the braise later so it would contribute added flavor to the sauce.
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After pouring off some fat, I added the shallots and garlic to the pan.
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After softening the shallots and garlic, I added the rosemary and sage.
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I deglazed the pan with sherry, and then built up the braising liquid with chicken broth.
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Last aromatic: lemon slices!
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In went the chicken, skin-side up. See how shallow the liquid is? You want to keep it this way.
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Time for the oven to work its magic!
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Lunch for the food52 team!
Great recipe! After reading the braised scallion recipe on this site, I decided to add 2 inch lengths of scallion and carrots to the braising liquid. They were delicious served alongside the crispy, juicy chicken. After gently reducing the strained broth, I added some chopped parsley and chives. Made for a tremendous sauce.