Here’s a recipe that I haven’t made in many years. Why I don’t know, because it is truly delicious! The spicy marinade, along with the cooking technique are what give this chicken its gorgeous color and juicy meat.
The preparation begins with splitting the chicken down the middle (but not all the way through) and opening it up flat. In culinary terms, this method is referred to as “spatchcocking” the chicken. Then, after a few hours in the fridge with a spicy marinade, the chicken is cooked skin side down in a heavy skillet, weighed down with a brick to ensure continuous contact with the surface of the pan. The finished dish is incredible!
Now, if you can purchase a chicken and have it split or “spatchcocked” right at the meat counter that’s great. But if not, don’t worry! The technique is quite simple, and you can do it yourself with a good pair of kitchen shears.
I used a stainless-steel braising pan for this recipe. A cast iron skillet or Dutch oven would be ideal, if you have one and can lift the pan in and out of the oven (add a brick to that and it’s pretty heavy!). Either way, you need a pan that can go from stovetop to oven.
Note ♪ DO NOT use a nonstick pan!
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Ingredients:
- 5 lb. whole chicken, spatchcocked
- 2 tbsp. peppercorns
- 2 tbsp. coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp. divided
- 1 tbsp. butter
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
Preparation:
If you have shied away from spatchcocking a chicken, or have always had it done by the butcher, don’t worry! It’s not hard and I did mine right in the sink. All you need to do is turn the chicken breast side down and use a good pair of kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone. Remove the backbone and discard. Turn the chicken over and give it a sharp rap in the center to break the breastbone so that it lays flat. Yes, that’s it!
Rinse the chicken thoroughly and pat dry. Place it in a rectangular glass baking dish.
To make the marinade, toast the whole peppercorns, coriander seed and fennel seed in a hot skillet for 2 minutes, just until fragrant. Grind in a coffee grinder. Transfer to a small bowl with the paprika, cayenne, cumin, turmeric and salt. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice and zest.
Now rub the chicken all over with the spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Wrap the brick in aluminum foil.
Preheat the oven to 400º. Heat your stainless-steel pan or Dutch oven on the stovetop and add the remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter. Place the chicken in the pan skin side down and cover immediately with the brick. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes to develop a crust.
Transfer to the oven and continue cooking for 45 minutes to an hour or more, depending on the size of the chicken. Use a thermometer to check for doneness, 160-165º
Carefully remove the brick, turn the chicken, skin side up onto a serving platter and bring it to the table for a gorgeous presentation!
Look at the color! Beautifully browned and the meat is so moist! The marinade is so aromatic, and I know you are going to love the flavor.
Notes ♪♫ Now you know why I keep a brick in my kitchen cupboard! Yes, it is an unusual accessory to have in the kitchen but now that I’ve shown you how I used it in this recipe you may want to pick one up on your next trip to the hardware store or home improvement center!
