Roasted Chicken is a classic for our family... but sometimes it can get boring! Right?! I cut right through the backbone of the raw chicken, splaying it out wide so it cooks faster. Spatchcock style cuts the cook time in 1/2 and really showcases all of that crispy skin!
In this recipe I use lemons and red onion to scent the chicken. You can use apples, oranges etc to create a trivet which you place the chicken directly on top of. As it cooks the flavor goes straight up into the underside Chicken, creating a bright fresh flavor!
I try to use an organic chicken and save the bones for making stock after, so for us one chicken gets about 3 meals! I just freeze the bones in a ziplock and pull that out when I'm ready to make Stock.
Ingredients:
One whole Chicken
2 Lemons, sliced in 1/2
1 Red Onion, sliced in 1/2
8-10 Carrots, cut in 1/2 lengthways
1 bulb Garlic, leave the skin on but separate out the cloves
1 handful of fresh Thyme and Rosemary.
Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Pepper
Method:
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 425.
Rinse the whole chicken, pat it dry with paper towels and place it on a cutting board. Using scissors or a very sharp knife, cut along the side of the spine until you've cut the entire chicken from top to bottom and can open it right up. Press down firmly on the breast bone until you hear it crack.
On the tray, place all the vegetables. Place the Chicken, skin side up directly on top on the vegetables. I make sure the lemons and onions are under the cavity of the chicken, adding the fresh herbs in there too.
Give it a good drizzle of olive oil and a very generous sprinkle of sea salt. I use more than I think I need... it's SO good once everything is crispy!
Please the tray in the middle rack of the oven, for 45 mins. At this point check it and spoon some of the juices back onto the top of the chicken. You want it so brown that it's SUPER crispy.
My best tip for seeing if it's done? Can you pull the leg bone out? Yes? Ok then it's done:
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 mins. After this I like to move the chicken to a board, cut it up into pieces, then place it back on the tray with the roasted veggies for serving.
We love to eat this with a huge green salad and fresh sourdough bread. Let me know how it goes for you!