Spatchcocked (Butterflied) Roast Chicken

Spatchcocked (Butterflied) Roast Chicken.

This is my take on my parents' favourite chicken dish Poularde au Bayard - Chicken in White Wine - reimagined as a simple one-pan roast. Same flavours, same comfort, but with the crackling golden skin you only get from roasting.

Spatchcocking (or butterflying) means removing the backbone and flattening the bird before it goes in the oven. It sounds more dramatic than it is — two minutes with a pair of kitchen scissors and the hard part is done. The flat bird roasts faster and more evenly, and the skin, stretched taut across the whole surface, goes wonderfully crisp.

I love a one-pan dish like this and roast, rather than stews, because it brings a deeper, more complex flavour and caramelized skin. The roasted vegetables, and all those pan juices make a very tasty sauce. Simple enough for a busy weeknight, but impressive enough for company.

This dish is going to become a family favourite.

Yield: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken, 2200 g and slow grown

• 3 carrots, peeled, chopped

• 500 g potatoes, peeled, halved

• 4 tomatoes

• 5 onions, peeled

• 25 whole cloves to stud the onions

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled

• 250 g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

• salt

• pepper

• 100 ml white wine

• 100 ml heavy cream

Flavored Butter:

• 4 tablespoons butter, salted and room temperature

• ½ teaspoon dried tarragon

• ½ teaspoon dried basil

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 bay leaf, crushed

• 1 garlic clove

Directions:

Allow the raw chicken to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before start cooking, it will produce juicier, and more evenly cooked meat.

Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220℃).

Make the flavoured butter: Mix all the ingredients until well combined, and set aside.

Spatchcock the chicken: Place the chicken breast-side down. Using sturdy kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Flip the bird breast-side up and press firmly down on the centre of the breastbone until it cracks flat. Place the chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Butter the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and over the thighs, and push half the flavored butter underneath. Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the bird. Season generously with salt and black pepper.

Stud each peeled onion with 4–5 whole cloves, pressing them firmly into the flesh. The cloves perfume the onions, making them extremely tasty.

Arrange all the vegetables round the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the cream and wine in the baking sheet when you put the sheet pan into the oven. The drippings, wine and cream will make a great sauce.

Roast the chicken for about 45 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C). If the skin colors too quickly, tent loosely with tinfoil.

Transfer the chicken to a board and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This lets the juices redistribute for much juicier meat.

Make the sauce: Transfer the vegetables to a serving dish. Pour the pan drippings and all the caramelized bits into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Thicken the sauce with some cornstarch.

Serve immediately, with the sauce spooned over. Make sure everyone gets some of the clove-studded onions — just remind your guests to remove the cloves before eating. They are, quietly, one of the best things on the plate.

Enjoy!

The roasted chicken.

Pine Cone Pops

Pine Cone Pops.

These chocolate pine cone treats might be the cutest winter dessert! If you’re looking for a festive, no-fuss holiday treat, these little pine cones are perfect. They’re easy to make, irresistibly cute, wonderfully chocolatey with a nice crunch—and completely no-bake. Honestly, they taste just as good as they look.

The pine cone pops will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge.

Yield about 20.

Ingredients:

• 5-600 g chocolate sheet pan cake, homemade or store bought

Frosting:

• 75 g natural cream cheese

• 75 g dark chocolate

• 25 g powdered sugar

Pine Cone Decorations:

• cocopops

• powdered sugar

Directions:

Start to make the frosting. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler or gently in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir the melted chocolate into the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.

Crumble the chocolate cake into a large bowl. Add the frosting to the cake crumbs and mix until the texture is soft, even, and workable. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up.

Shape the chilled cake mixture into small egg like balls, about the size of a whole walnut.

Press the chocolate cereal into the pine cone, starting at the top and working your way down in rows to create a pine-cone effect. To serve, lightly dust with powdered sugar for a snowy finish.

Enjoy!

Boozy Mulled Wine Extract

Boozy Mulled Wine Extract.

For years, I’ve been making a classic mulled wine — or Gløgg, as we Danes call it.
This year, I wanted to try a more grown-up, boozier version.

And just to be clear — please don’t drink and drive!

This recipe is strongly inspired by Timm Vladimir’s Gløgg Extract.
I used his base as a starting point but added extra spices that I normally include in my own mulled wine.

The result? A rich, aromatic Gløgg with a little more kick — perfect for cozy winter nights.

Extract:

Ingredients:

• 2 hvidtøl, a dark, sweet malty beer like Malta Goya

• 500 g sugar

• 35 ml port

• 35 ml dark rum

• 1 orange, sliced

• 1 lemon, sliced

• 8 whole allspice

• 3 whole nutmegs, cracked

• 3 cinnamon sticks

• 6 whole cloves

• 6 whole cardemomme, cracked

• 4 Tonga beans, cracked

• 5 whole black pepper

• 5 vanilla beans, splited in half

• 1 star anise

Directions:

Heat the base:
Pour the hvidtøl and sugar into a large pot. Bring it gently to a boil.
Be careful — this mixture foams easily and can boil over quickly.
Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool completely to room temperature.

Add the aromatics:
When the mixture has cooled, add the port, dark rum, and all remaining ingredients.
Transfer everything to a clean container or large jar.
Refrigerate and let the mixture marinate for 2–3 weeks, stirring or gently shaking the container every other day to help the flavors develop evenly.

Strain and bottle:
After steeping, strain the extract through a fine sieve.
Pour the finished Gløgg extract into a sterilized bottle.
Stored in the refrigerator, it will keep for months — even years.

Serving:

To serve the Boozy Mulled Wine, combine 200-300 ml extract with a bottle of red wine, or to taste. Traditionally gløgg is served with raisons (soaked in port wine or a stronger liquor) and almond slivers.
Choose a soft, fruity red — something non-oaky and low in tannins like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a young Tempranillo
These wines let the warm spices shine without adding bitterness.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Lentil Salad

Sweet Potato & Lentil Salad.

This sweet potato and beluga lentil salad is definitely going to be one of those recipes I make on repeat this winter. It’s hearty, colorful, and full of those cozy flavors I crave when the weather turns cold. The roasted sweet potatoes add sweetness, the lentils bring a lovely earthiness, and the cranberries give just the right pop of chewiness. Everything gets tied together with a creamy tahini dressing that makes the whole bowl feel extra comforting. I might even sprinkle in some nuts next time for a little extra crunch.

It’s also a great make-ahead dish, which is always a lifesaver during busy weeks. You can roast the sweet potatoes and cook the lentils in advance, then toss everything together right before serving. And while I love it for lunch or an easy dinner, it also makes a wonderful side for Thanksgiving or Christmas — festive, vibrant, and guaranteed to disappear fast.

Inspired by Downshiftology.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (1 kg) sweet potatoes (2 to 3 potatoes)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 garlic clove crushed

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• ½ cup (1 dl) black beluga lentils

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• ½ cup (1 dl) dried unsweetened cranberries

• ¼ cup (½ dl) fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

• ¼ cup (½ dl) italian parsley, finely chopped

• ¼ small red onion, finely chopped

Dressing:

• ¼ cup (½ dl) tahini

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 to 3 tablespoons water

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients:

Preheat your oven to 425°F (200°C).

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes. Place them in a freezer bag.
Add olive oil, cumin, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Shake the bag to coat the cubes evenly.
Spread the sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway, until tender and lightly caramelized.
Set aside to cool.

Cook the beluga lentils in water with a vegetable stock cube for 20–25 minutes, or according to package instructions.
Drain, drizzle with a little olive oil, and let cool.

Mix the dressing: Whisk together tahini, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Add water, a little at a time, until the dressing reaches your desired consistency.

In a large bowl, combine the roasted sweet potatoes, cooled lentils, cranberries, red onion, cilantro, and parsley.
Pour about ⅓ of the dressing over the salad and toss gently.
Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Enjoy!

Fiery Feta Dip

Fiery Feta Dip.

This 4 Ingredient Fiery Feta Dip (Tirokafteri Inspired) is both savory and spicy and is sure to have you coming back for more.

One of my favorite weeknight restaurants when I lived in California was a cozy Greek-style spot called Opa!. They served a feta and pepper dip with a perfect spicy kick — creamy, tangy, and just a little fiery.

After moving back to Denmark, I decided to make my own version. This is what I came up with — simple, bold, and ready in minutes.

Enjoy it as a steak sauce, or serve it with warm pita bread, crisp vegetables, or even grilled chicken.

Ingredients:

• 16.5oz jar roasted red peppers

• 1 clove of garlic

• 5oz/150g crumbled feta cheese

• 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper — use your preferred pepper to adjust the spiciness.
  

Directions:

Drain your roasted red peppers and place them in a food processor or blender.

Add the garlic and chili pepper, then blend until smooth.

Add the feta cheese and pulse a few times until well mixed. For a chunkier texture, stir the feta in by hand after blending the other ingredients.

Chill for 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld.

Enjoy!