Spatchcock Chicken or any Poultry
Learn how easy it is to spatchcock, or butterfly, poultry. A chicken is used here, but this method will work for turkey, goose, duck, quail, etc. If it has feathers, this method works. Why pay extra for something you can do for free?
Calories per serving: 512kcal
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Chicken, whole
~~ -- Compound Butter -- ~~
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, unsalted, softened
- 1 tablespoon Sage, fresh
- 1 tablespoon Rosemary, fresh
- 1 tablespoon Thyme, fresh
~~ -- Aromatics -- ~~
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Onion, skin and root
- Celery, Root and leaves
- Apple, peels and core
~~ -- Injection Liquid-- ~~
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, unsalted, melted
- 1 teaspoon *Chicken base
- 1 cup Water, boiling
- 2 tablespoon White wine
~~ -- Seasoning -- ~~
- 1 teaspoon Northwoods Seasoning
Instructions
- Mis En Place
- Put the chicken on a cutting board and blot it with paper towels.
- Turn the chicken on its front and cut along one side of the spine with poultry shears.
- Cut along the other side of the spine to completely remove it. Set the spine aside.
- Remove the giblets and neck if they are present. Set the giblets aside and put the neck and spine together to be used for broth.
For the Optional Compound Butter
- Roughly chop the herbs. Put the softened butter in the bowl of a food processor. Add the herbs and process until it is thoroughly mixed.
For the Aromatics
- Put the aromatics on the bottom of a foil-lined roasting pan. Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Put the chicken on top of the aromatics breast side up.
For the Injection
- Combine the chicken base and boiling water. Add melted butter and wine.
- Using your gloved hands, put compound butter under the chicken's skin and rub it on the skin as well. Be thorough. Dip the injection needle in the injection liquid and fill the needle. Stab and inject the chicken breast, thigh, leg generously. Keep doing this until you have used up most if not all of the liquid. If the skin puffs up while you are doing this, it's normal. If some of the liquid comes out, that is normal, too.
- Sprinkle the chicken generously with the seasoning. Cover the pan with foil and put it into a 325°F / 162°C oven.
- Roast the chicken until it reaches 150°F / 65°C, about an hour. Remove the foil and turn the heat up to 475°F / 246°C and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F / 73°C.
- Let the chicken rest at least 20 minutes before carving. To prevent the skin from getting soft, don't tent it.
- Use the poultry shears to cut the chicken into pieces and put them on a serving platter.
- Enjoy!
Notes
The compound butter is optional. You could use olive oil with herbs instead. You could also use olive oil in the injection liquid.
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