Spatchcocking, also known as butterflying, is a technique used to flatten a whole chicken for more even cooking. Usually, roasting a whole bird would only seem like the sort of activity an experienced cook could perform, however spatchcocking a chicken is an easy way for just about anyone to make sure that you get a well-cooked, juicy bird to pick at, when ready. For recipes that call for a full chicken to be stashed in the oven, or it is simply something you want to do in order to meal prep, this technique is effective in achieving the desired results. Here’s how you can go about it:
Preparing The Bird
You will need a whole chicken, a cutting board, a pair of kitchen shears or sharp scissors, and possibly a chef's knife. Start off by placing the chicken breast-side down on the cutting board. Make sure the insides have been rinsed clean and patted dry.
Making Cuts
Starting at the tail end of the chicken, use the kitchen shears to cut along one side of the backbone. Follow along the backbone, cutting through the ribs as you go. Repeat the process on the other side until the backbone is completely removed. You can save the backbone for making chicken stock if desired.
Flip the chicken over so that it is breast-side up. With the palm of your hand, press down firmly on the breastbone until you hear a slight crack. This will help flatten the chicken. If desired, you can trim any excess skin or fat from the chicken. This step is optional but can help reduce flare-ups during cooking. During this step, it is ideal to apply marinade or seasonings to the surface and on the insides, along with salting the chicken, to begin drawing out its juices.
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Marinading
Since most roast chicken recipes or recipes including a whole chicken barely give any time for the meat to absorb flavour, placing the spatchcocked chicken on a sheet of parchment before transferring it to a baking tray is a good way to keep it refrigerated, until you are ready to cook with it. Spatchcocking your chicken also gives you better surface area to allow flavour permeation as well as cover corners that would’ve been hard to reach otherwise.
Finishing Touches
Take each wing and tuck it behind the back of the chicken since it helps to prevent the wingtips from burning during cooking. At this point, your chicken is spatchcocked and ready to be cooked according to your chosen recipe. You can grill, roast, or bake the chicken as desired. Adjust the cooking time and temperature accordingly, as spatchcocking can reduce cooking time compared to a whole chicken.