Michel Roux's Roast Spatchcock Chicken in a Pan
Roasted until the skin is crisp, Michel Roux's succulent spatchcock chicken is served with golden, rosemary potatoes. Taken from the show Roux Down the River.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
For the Potatoes:
Method
- Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. With a poultry shears or sharp knife, make two vertical cuts about 1 1/2 inch apart on each side of the backbone, all the way from the neck to the tail. Cut through the bones and remove the backbone and tail. Open up the chicken so it lays flat.
- With the chicken still breast side down, use your sharp knife to slice through the cartilage at the top of the breast bone, working from the inside of the chicken. Hold the chicken in your two hands, and bend it backwards to make the breastbone pop out; pull out the breastbone and the cartilage. Use your knife to slice out the ribs from the inside, if you desire. Try not to cut through the skin.
- In a small bowl, mix the butter with the garlic and some salt and black pepper. Use your fingers to rub the butter mixture all over the inside and outside of the chicken, and push the seasonings under the skin as well.
- Melt the olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Have a second heavy skillet (such as a cast-iron skillet) or a heavy Dutch oven ready for flattening the chicken. (If you don't have either of those things, wrap a brick in aluminum foil.) When the oil and butter just begin to give off wisps of smoke, place the chicken into the skillet, skin side down and flat. The "knees" of the chicken legs should point towards each other so the legs are flat. Place a piece of aluminum foil on top of the chicken, and weight it down with the heavy skillet or Dutch oven to press the chicken down as it cooks.
- Cook the chicken until the skin is crisp and browned, 12 to 15 minutes; carefully remove the weight and foil, and turn the chicken over so the opened-up side is down. Replace the foil and weight, and cook the chicken until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone, about 15 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into thigh meat, not touching bone, should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
- Meanwhile, peel and cube the potatoes into roughly 2cm cubes and put them in a pan of water. Bring to the boil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softening but not falling apart. Drain and leave to steam dry.
- When there’s 15 minutes to go on the chicken heat the oils together in a very large non-stick frying pan. Add the potatoes and cook for 10-15 mins, turning them frequently with a fish slice until they are golden and crispy. Sprinkle with the rosemary and flaky salt, then serve.
Rate this recipe
Overall Rating:
0.00
(0)
