simple spatchcocked chicken

• annokset: SERVES 4

Ainekset

1 whole chicken (3-1/2 to 4 pounds)

Kosher salt

Extra-virgin olive oil

Ohjeet

To spatchcock, use heavy-duty kitchen shears to remove the backbone (on the underside of the bird) by snipping down along both sides of it. You can start from the tail or neck end, whichever you prefer. Next, clip off the wingtips. Reserve the backbone and wingtips for stock. Lay the chicken, breast-side up, on the cutting board. Use your hands to push down on the breastbone until the bird flattens and you hear the cartilage pop. Generously season the bird with salt on both sides. Place in a shallow roasting dish, breast-side up, and refrigerate, uncovered, Overnight. (The air circulating in the fridge will dry out the chicken skin so it cooks up glassy and crisp.) If you're planning on cooking the chicken right away, skip the fridge and leave the bird out at room temperature.

Pull the bird out of the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle of the oven and preheat to 425°F.

Heat a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. As SOon as the oil shimmers, place the chicken in the pan, breast-side down, and brwn for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden. It's fine if the bird doesn't lie completely flat as long as the breast is in contact with the pan. Flip the bird over (again, it's fine if it doesn't lie entirely flat) and slide the entire skillet into the oven. Push the pan all the way to the very back of the oven, with the handle of the pan facing left. After about 20 minutes, carefully use an oven mitt to rotate the pan 180 degrees so the handle faces right, and return it to the very back of the rack.

Cook until the chicken is browned all over and the juices run lear when you cut between the leg and the thigh, another 20 to 25 minutes.

Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Muistiinpanot

These days, I rarely roast a chicken without spatchcocking it first. Removing the backbone and pressing the chicken flat does two wonderful things-it decreases the cooking time by almost half while maximizing the surface area for crispy, brown skin. In an ideal world, you'll spatchcock and season the chicken a day in advance of cooking, but even when that's something you can't manage, simply flattening the bird will allow seasoning to penetrate more quickly and evenly.

Recipe from good things, by samin nosrat.