If you’ve never cooked a whole chicken before then a butterflied herb chicken is the most easy way to prepare it for the first time. Spatchcock chicken means to butterfly a chicken. This way the chicken keeps its juicy flavors and gets a crispy skin that is just delish!
You could use any season but we seasoned the chicken with thyme, rosemary, garlic and lemon. It’s served with a delicious lemon herb chicken gravy that is for sure the finishing touch!
Most important is to take your time to prepare this meal. The more love you put in it, the better it will taste. Although this counts for every dish, with this dish specifically. If you’re a busy boss during the week, I suggest you make this recipe during the weekend. Most of the work lays in its preparation. Once the chicken is in the oven, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the smell of roasted herb chicken. It will make you hungry!
Serve with baked potatoes and haricots verts French style or a green salad!
Prepping
First prepare all your ingredients since you’ll be working with raw meat. It’s important to prepare everything before you touch the meat.
1. Cover a large baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Collect all your herbs, lemon, garlic, olive oil and pepper and salt.
3. Make the herb mixture.
4. Prepare your work surface with a non-porous cutting board, and clean paper towels.
Butterfly the chicken
Okay, this can be challenging the first time but no worries you can do it. There are two ways to butterfly the chicken. You can cut around the spine and take it out completely or you can make one cut down the middle of the back next to the spine. The easiest way is to make a single cut than remove the whole spine. This way the chicken will also still be supported. For cutting it is best to use kitchen shears because they are the easiest, but you could also use a sharp serrated knife. You will cut through the area where the rib-cage connects to the backbone. Use your hands to open the bird and gently press both sides down to flatten it before you flip it over. Flip it gently but quickly with its breast side up onto your prepared baking sheet. The chicken now looks like a butterfly. Push the legs a bit more up and to keep them there you could tie them up with a kitchen string. It will give a more round and full look.
Simple Roasted Herb Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole organic chicken for roasting
- olive oil
- sea salt
- 3 large garlic cloves
- ⅔ cup fresh chopped rosemary and thyme or choose any other herbs you like
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon
Lemon Chicken Gravy
- 1 tbsp roasted chicken gravy
- 2 tbsp maizena
- sea salt
- pepper
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1½ cup chicken stock
Instructions
- First butterfly the chicken. If your butcher didn't do it, then remove the giblets yourself. Place the whole chicken breast on it's side down over a large cutting board. Best is to use a pair of kitchen shears to cut down each side of the back bone (spine). Cut it from cavity up to the neck. You can save the backbone for later use (it will serve for a great chicken stock). Make a tiny cut in the cartilage on the back of the breast bone and use your hands to gently press both sides down to flatten the bird. If you want to create a more round and full look, you could lift the legs a bit more up an tie them with a kitchen string.
- Mix all the herbs with the olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt. Flip the bird with its skin upwards. Pat it dry with clean paper towels, by doing this you will get the most crispy skin. Gently create pockets by separating the skin from the meat. Stuff the herb mixture under the skin and make sure to spread it evenly. Leave some of the herb mixtures spread on the outside and finish with a squeeze of half a lemon. You could marinate the bird overnight in a container in the fridge, but if you don't have time, you can bake it straight away!
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Place the chicken on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Add a few slices of lemon and put it on the chicken skin. Place the chicken in the centre of the oven and let it roast for 30 minutes. Rotate the baking tray and let it bake for an additional 20 minutes. If the legs start to burn, cover them with foil.. Let the chicken cool down for 10 minutes.
The Lemon Chicken Graving
- Transfer 1 tbsp chicken dripping from the sheet pan into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until fragrant (1 to 2 minutes). Slowly whisk in chicken stock. Reduce heat to low. Bring the gravy to a simmer and keep stirring often until thick enough(about 3-4 minutes). Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to your taste. Serve in a gravy boat.
