Spatchcocked Chicken With Herb Butter Food

HERB-GARLIC BUTTER SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan with foil.
• Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place chicken, breast side down, on cutting board. Using heavy-duty kitchen scissors or poultry shears, cut closely along one side of backbone from thigh end to neck. Repeat on other side. Remove backbone; save for making Chicken and Broth or Roasted Chicken and Broth or discard. Turn chicken over; flatten breast area by pressing firmly with heel of hand. Place chicken, breast side up, in pan. Tuck wings under breast.
• In small bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Starting at leg end of chicken, gently separate skin (do not peel back) from chicken breast using fingers, being careful not to tear or puncture skin. Rub half of butter mixture under skin to cover entire breast area; gently replace skin. Rub remaining butter mixture on outside of chicken.
• Roast uncovered 30 minutes. Brush chicken with pan juices. Roast 30 to 35 minutes longer or until thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast reads at least 165°F. Serve chicken with pan juices, if desired.

SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN WITH HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mash together the butter, garlic, parsley, mixed herbs, thyme, rosemary, salt, herbes de Provence, lemon zest, white pepper and black pepper. Rub three-quarters of the mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin. (Reserve the remaining herb butter for serving.) Place the chicken, breast-up, on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate it, uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roast chicken until it is just cooked through (the meat will no longer be pink and the juices will run clear; an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh will read 165 degrees), 40 to 55 minutes. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving. Serve it topped with the reserved herb butter and lemon wedges.

LEMON HERB SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper - you can cook in a cast-iron skillet instead, but you need a very large one
• Zest one lemon and mince the garlic
• Add butter, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, dried parsley, and dried thyme to a small mixing bowl
• Mix to combine thoroughly and set to the side
• Spatchcock your chicken by removing the backbone and laying flat - see instructions and video above for how to do this
• Lay the chicken flat with the breast side up
• Take your butter, lemon, and herb mixture and rub it all over the skin and under the skin of your bird. You can lift the skin on the breasts and the thighs to really pack a lot of the mixture under the skin - this is how the meat gets flavorful and juicy
• Lay your spatchcocked chicken on a lined baking sheet or in the cast iron skillet - I like to add some thick cut carrot and onions to the pan
• Place in the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes - until the thickest section of the thigh meat reads 165F on a meat thermometer. The timing will depend on the size of the bird. Our 4lb chicken took 45 minutes, a 5lb chicken took 55 minutes and a 5.25lb chicken took nearly an hour. Use that as a guide, but the temperature is the best way to know
• Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting into parts to enjoy!

SPATCHCOCK ROASTED TURKEY WITH HERBS

Steps:

• 1 day to 1 hour before roasting: Line a large rimmed sheet pan or roasting dish (one that is large enough to hold the turkey) with foil. If using a sheet pan, place an oven-safe cooling rack on top.
• Spatchcock turkey: Place turkey, breast side down on a large cutting board. Pat it dry with paper towels (this makes it easier to work with). Use sharp kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone, completely removing it. (Save the backbone to use for making stock.) Open up the turkey and use the tip of a knife to make small slashes / score along one side of the breast bone (this makes it easier to flatten).
• Turn turkey so the breast side is facing up. Using the palms of your hand, press firmly down on the turkey breast until the bones crack and the turkey rests flat. Transfer spatchcocked turkey to prepared sheet pan.
• Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Tuck wing tips under the turkey (so they don't burn when roasting).
• Season: Gently loosen the skin by running your fingers (or a small spoon) between the skin on the breast and legs. Rub salt under the skin and all over the turkey, concentrating it where the meat is thickest (like the breast). Let turkey come to room temperature (or return it to the refrigerator and let rest, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 24 hours).
• Preheat oven to 425°F / 218°C.
• Combine softened butter, herbs, and black pepper. Rub seasoned butter under and over the skin of the turkey. Season the surface of the turkey with some additional kosher salt.
• Pour stock into pan under turkey. If using chopped onions, celery, carrots, sliced garlic heads, apples, and / or sprigs of fresh herbs to flavor the turkey, lift the wire rack with turkey up and add those to the bottom of the pan.
• Carefully transfer turkey to the lower rack of the heated oven and roast for 70 minutes to 2 hours. Start checking turkey at the lower end of the cook time and continue checking until the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F / 71°C and the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F / 73°C.)
• Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 30 minutes (you can tent it with foil to keep it warm). While turkey rests, use pan drippings to make gravy.
• Carve turkey and serve!