Here’s a lesson in food blogging for you: If you want to share a scrumptious recipe with people, make sure to protect your photos from being deleted. You could potentially write your way out of this difficulty. You could describe how epic the buttery lemon sauce was that accompanied the chicken. You could tell your readers how easy it was to flatten a chicken and how much faster it cooks when it’s prepared that way. You might even want to tell them how you used the leftover chicken in quesadillas one day, threw it in a burrito bowl for lunch another day, and finally topped the last bit on a Greek pizza for dinner. But really, who cares about all of that when there isn’t a picture like the one you see above?
I made this chicken TWICE in one week. The first time was intended for you…the second time was to make up for the accidental photo deletion. That’s right. I lost over 40 photos. With a flat roasted chicken recipe this amazing, making it twice in one week was no big deal. In fact, I didn’t mind at all.
And we’re off!
You start by taking the backbone out of the chicken. Use kitchen shears & cut along both sides of the backbone.
It’s gone! How easy! Does this gross you out? Sorry.
Flip the bird (ha!) over. Flatten. Pat dry & cover with salt & pepper.
Heat butter & olive oil in the skillet you’ll be cooking the chicken in.
Place the bird skin side down and brown for about 3 minutes.
Flip the bird (ha! this never gets old) over and put it in your oven to roast uncovered.
Now it’s time to make your lemon garlic sauce. Mash that garlic.
Add it to a bowl with lemon, red pepper flakes & olive oil.
Look what just came out of the oven!! Take the chicken out of the pan & cover with foil. Let rest for 10 mins.
Add butter & lemon juice to the pan. This sauce is SOOO GOOD.
Cut the chicken into pieces and place back in that sauce. Add a few lemons to make it pretty!
You will want to put both the pan drippings & the lemon oil sauce ON top of the chicken.
I served our chicken with kale & baked potatoes. At one point I dipped the potato skin in the pan sauce. I wish I could bathe in that stuff. CAN YOU IMAGINE?!
Flat Roasted Chicken
Serves 4- 6
(recipe from Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys)
- 1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 lbs backbone removed
- coarse salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed & peeled
Preheat oven to 400 F. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove. Open the chicken’s legs and spread the bird down flat, skin side up. Press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Pat dry with paper towel and generously salt & pepper both sides.
Heat a large oven proof skillet on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of both butter and olive oil to the pan. Add the chicken, skin side down and allow to brown for 3-4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and transfer the skillet to the oven.
The chicken will be done after 40-45 minutes. A thermometer placed in the thickest part of should read 165 F and the chicken should be nice and golden brown. Remove the chicken and let rest for 10 minutes covered in aluminum foil. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the remaining butter to the pan drippings and swirl around.
Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the red pepper flakes, garlic and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Cut the chicken into pieces, drizzle with the lemon sauce and the pan drippings. Serve immediately!
