Spatchcock chicken
A spatchcocked chicken is a whole chicken with the backbone removed so it can be opened out flat. This helps the chicken cook evenly and gives the skin a lovely golden brown colour. Placing the chicken on citrus keeps the meat juicy and aromatic.
Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 0 minutes
Cooking: approx. 50–60 minutes
Total time: approx. 50–60 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
- Slice the lemon and orange and spread the slices over the bottom of the roasting dish.
- Cut off the chicken’s tail end. Cut or snip along both sides of the backbone and remove it.
- Cut into the cartilage on the breast side and open the chicken out. Press down firmly so the chicken lies flat.
- Mix all the marinade ingredients into a smooth mixture.
- Rub the chicken all over with the marinade, especially over the skin.
- Place the chicken skin-side up on the citrus in the roasting dish.
Cooking
- Roast the chicken for 50–60 minutes in the oven, depending on its size, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Want extra crispy skin? Turn the oven up to 200 °C for the last 10 minutes.
