Sorry for not being as prepared with step by step pictures for this recipe as I usually am. We have been in the process of moving and getting settled into a new home, so things have been a little hectic, to say the very least. One thing is for sure though, when Rob said this was the best chicken that I've made the whole time we've been married (and I've made LOTS of chicken), suffice it to say that I had to share enough to give you the method and the ingredients.
Those who follow this blog regularly (if that's you, thank you!) will remember the post that I did regarding the "spatchcock" method of cooking chicken. If you missed that, the posts are in the "categories", so you should be able to find them. At any rate, this is the only method that I use for roasting a chicken now that I've mastered it. I LOVE IT! It's so easy, the cooking time is so much less, and the chicken is SO moist and delicious, no matter what flavor profile that you should choose in the marinade.
When I got busy trying to get us ready for the move, my beautiful herbs at the other house became a victim of the heat and my neglect of watering them. So, for now, I'm starting over. While at the hardware store in our little town this past Saturday, I bought the most beautiful rosemary bush...not a little plant, but a BUSH for $11.99...what a deal! As the young man at the hardware store was putting it in my car, I couldn't help but start to think of what I would marinate for dinner that night. I had just bought a whole chicken the day before...so problem solved!
I usually try and get measurements for you on recipes, but this time, I had so much going and had mixed up the marinade before I could think about noticing what my measurements were (I was not taught to cook by measure but to measure by sight). But, I have a pretty good idea of what to tell you, so here it is...and trust me, the longer this marinates, the better. It has a LOT of rosemary in it, but I love that flavor and I like it strong...so if you want to back off a little, feel free. Make it your own!
ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH OLIVE OIL
1 cup of very good quality extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
3 large cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. coarse Kosher salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp. good quality dijon mustard
4 pound whole chicken, all giblets removed
In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except the olive oil. Whisk them together until well combined. While whisking, stream in the olive oil until you have an emulsion. (You can also do this in the blender if you would like, but if you use a blender, add the rosemary AFTER you have blended the ingredients, otherwise, you'll end up with pesto sauce.)
With poultry shears, turn the chicken breast side down. Place the shears on one side of the backbone and cut straight up and away from you. Then repeat on the other side of the backbone. Once you have cut up both sides, then you should have successfully removed the backbone. At this point, it is not necessary to remove the breast bones, but I prefer to do it since it makes the chicken lie flat. It also decreases the cooking time. If you choose to do this, then just flip the chicken over and use your shears to clip around the membranes and clip out the breast bones. Maybe one day I'll do a video tutorial on this...
Place the spatchcocked chicken in a gallon sized zip loc (heavy duty) bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and over the chicken. Seal up the bag and "squish" it all together to ensure that the marinade gets into every part of the chicken. Place in the fridge and marinate over night.
Place the chicken breast side up on a foil lined baking pan that has an edge (to catch the liquid). The chicken should be flat and look like this:
Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the meat is at least 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer. (It is harmful to your health to consume raw or undercooked poultry...please make sure that you test for doneness!)
Your chicken should be golden brown, succulent and beautiful....here's how mine turned out:
I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did! I had leftovers tonight and it was even better the second time around (wrapped in foil and re-heated in the oven at 375 degrees).
Blessings!
