Butterflied Chicken With Cracked Spices
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1chicken, around 3 pounds
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 2teaspoons fennel seed
- 1teaspoon coriander seed
- ½teaspoon black peppercorns
- ¼teaspoon cumin seed
- 2teaspoons coarse sea salt
- ½teaspoon hot paprika or pimentón
- Lemon halves or fat wedges
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
712 calories; 52 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 56 grams protein; 723 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Light a grill or set your broiler on high and give it a 15-minute head start.
- Step 2
Butterfly (or spatchcock) the chicken: Cut out the chicken’s backbone with poultry shears, a cleaver or a sharp, heavy chef’s knife (or ask a butcher to do this). If you think you will make stock at some point, by all means tightly wrap the backbone in plastic and put it in the freezer. Place the chicken skin side up in a roasting pan and press firmly on the breast with the heels of your hands until it cracks and flattens. Position the legs so they lie flat and the drumsticks point out. Tuck the wingtips over the tops of the wings to hold them in place, or cut them off. Rub the bird with the oil. (Don’t worry about any extra oil that may fall onto the pan.) Now wash your hands.
- Step 3
Coarsely grind the fennel, coriander, peppercorns and cumin with a mortar and pestle or with 8 or 9 pulses in a spice grinder. Mix in the salt and paprika or pimentón and sprinkle this rub on both sides of the bird, with the emphasis on the skin.
- Step 4
Set the chicken skin side down on a grill or skin side up on a broiler rack positioned so the highest point of the bird is about 10 inches from the flame. When the skin begins to brown after 6 or 7 minutes, flip the chicken over. (The easiest way is to grab the knobby ends of both drumsticks with several layers of paper towels if you are in the kitchen, or with clean oven mitts if you are grilling.)
- Step 5
After about 10 minutes, when the bony side is browned, lower the heat to medium-high (400 if you're using an oven), flip the chicken again and cook another 10 minutes, or until the skin is very crisp and brown and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees when checked with a meat thermometer. Let it rest about 5 minutes before carving. (If you are grilling, set it on a platter.)
- Step 6
Spoon any juices that have collected in the broiler pan or the platter over the chicken. Serve with lemon. In springtime, try to serve this with tender young bitter greens — like arugula, watercress or baby dandelions — tossed in a sharp vinaigrette.
Private Notes
Comments
How long and at what temp did you roast them?
Using the broiler inevitably sets off the smoke alarm at my house, so I roasted the chicken instead. Came out great, and we loved the spice mix.
Recipe recommended a 3-lb. chicken. At 5-lbs., you're getting into a roaster-sized bird, bred for huge breasts and relatively small legs. That may account for your cooking problems.
This is simple and really good. We do it on the grill.
I make this weekly for my family. I place it on my smoker, 30 minutes at 200 to get a good smoke and then turn it up to 375 for another 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the chicken. Simply the best chicken ever and if any leftovers, gone in a flash.
Total keeper. Easy, great flavor. The cooking directions aren’t really adequate for charcoal. I used a 2-zone fire, browned it pretty quickly on both sides and then moved it off the coals and covered to roast. Delicious.
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