Butterflying, or spatchcocking, chicken lets the entire bird cook more evenly, making the whole thing taste a little bit like roasted heaven. With this method, you’ll get a whole, juicy chicken cooked in less than an hour. If you don’t react negatively to lemon, add some lemon slices for extra flavor.
Yield: 1 chicken
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- Large handful of fresh herbs of your choosing, destemmed and chopped
- Lemon slices, optional
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a large baking sheet; set aside.
- Place the chicken, breast down, on a large poultry board. Use heavy-duty kitchen scissors to cut either side of the backbone, and remove it entirely. Snip the bones near the breastbone so the chicken can spread out. Open up the bird and place it on the baking sheet, breast side up. Push down hard on the center breast — you should hear or feel a pop — so the bird lies flat. Tuck the wings beneath the chicken.
- In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil and chopped herbs.
- Lift the skin of the bird and stuff the olive oil and herb mixture beneath the skin as far as you can.
- If using lemon slices, arrange them on the baking sheet around the chicken.
- Drizzle olive oil over the bird, rubbing it in well, then sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and golden-brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees in the breast meat and 175 to 185 degrees in the thigh meat.
- Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.
- Present whole on a platter, or cut the chicken into pieces before serving.
To discover more about low-histamine foods, read Low-Histamine Recipes.
Shawna Coronado is an author, blogger, photographer, and media host who focuses on wellness by teaching green lifestyle living, organic gardening, and anti-inflammatory cooking. Shawna’s cookbook Stacked With Flavor (September 2019), is full of dairy-free, grain-free, and low-sugar recipes that are anti-inflammatory. Visit her website to learn more.