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!