Spatchcock chicken
- Diana Henry
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Serves 4
More effort
Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Plus a few hrs marinating
A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.7 ratingsRate
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Take simple ingredients beyond the norm with this fabulous spicy, herby spatchcock chicken with chipotle aïoli. Serve with sweet potato wedges and salad
Gluten-free
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Test Kitchen tips for making spatchcock chicken:
- We recommend flattening the chicken as evenly as possible before cooking by pressing firmly on the breastbone. It helps the bird cook more evenly, so you end up with juicy breast meat and perfectly cooked legs.
- If you have time, it's worth marinating the chicken overnight. The chilli, garlic and oregano have longer to infuse the meat, giving the finished chicken even more flavour.
- For a different twist, we'd swap the oregano for thyme or rosemary, or add a little smoked paprika to the marinade for an extra smoky flavour. It works just as well whether you're cooking on the barbecue or in the oven.
- Any leftovers need not go to waste. You can shred the chicken into wraps, tacos or salads, or stir it through rice or pasta for an easy meal the next day.
Ingredients
Nutrition
Units:
MetricUS
-
1.8kg whole chicken
-
6 garlic cloves
roughly chopped
-
3 red chillies
halved, deseeded and finely chopped
-
1 tbsp dried oregano
-
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the chipotle aïoli
-
1 egg yolk
-
1 tsp Dijon mustard
-
2 garlic cloves
grated to a purée
-
115ml oil
(a mixture of groundnut oil and olive oil)
-
1 tbsp chipotle paste
-
1 lemon
juiced, to taste (start with about 3 tsp)
-
sweet potato wedges
and salad, to serve (optional)
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Nutrition: Per serving
- kcal722
- fat57g
- saturates12g
- carbs2g
- sugars1g
- fibre1g
- protein50g
- salt0.5g
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Method
-
step 1
To spatchcock the chicken, set the bird on your worktop, breast-side down, legs towards you. Using good kitchen scissors, cut through the flesh and bone along both sides of the backbone. Remove the backbone and keep it for stock (freeze until you’ve gathered three or four). Open the chicken, turn it over, then flatten it by pressing hard on the breastbone with the heel of your hand. You’ll feel it breaking and flattening under your hand. Remove any big globules of fat and neaten any ragged bits of skin. Now you have a spatchcocked bird.
-
step 2
Using a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic to a purée with some sea salt flakes. Add the chilli, oregano, extra virgin olive oil and some pepper. Put the chicken in a dish or roasting tin that will fit in your fridge. Gently loosen the skin of the breast, pushing your fingers in between the skin and the flesh. Work your way under the skin, over the legs too, and spoon some of the garlic and herb mixture in under the skin, then spread it all over the chicken, on both sides. Cover with cling film and put in the fridge for a few hours.
-
step 3
Mix the egg yolk, mustard and crushed garlic together in a bowl. Using electric beaters or a whisk, start gradually adding the oils in little drops. Make sure that each drop has been incorporated before you add the next. If your mixture splits, just start again with a new egg yolk, and gradually add the curdled mixture to it. Add the chipotle paste, lemon juice to taste and seasoning. Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 4 hrs.
-
step 4
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lay the chicken in a roasting tin, breast-side up. Season all over and roast for 1 hr, basting a few times during cooking. To check that the chicken is cooked properly, pierce the bird between the leg and the body – the juices should run clear. Cut into serving pieces and serve with the chipotle aïoli. Roasted sweet potato wedges and a green salad are brilliant on the side. Any leftover aïoli will keep covered in the fridge for two days.
Diana Henry
Good Food contributing editor Diana Henry is an award-winning food writer, author of multiple cookbooks and regular columnist for the Sunday Telegraph. She has created exclusive recipes for Good Food using seasonal ingredients. See more of Diana's recipes.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2018
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A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.7 ratings
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