Spatchcocking your chicken makes for deliciously moist meat that’s quick to cook and looks super impressive.
Serves: 4
Prep: 15 – 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes to an hour
Ingredients:
1 spatchcocked 1.5kg chicken
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon
3 - 4 garlic cloves finely minced
2/3 pack tarragon leaves stripped and finely chopped
1/3 pack tarragon leaves stripped and reserved for garnish
100g margarine, remove from fridge 20 minutes before using.
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
100ml chicken stock
50ml white wine or kosher vermouth
1-2 tsp honey
2-3 red onions cut in wedges
2 heads red chicory quartered
2 heads chicory quartered
Mild olive oil
Method:
- Heat oven to 200°C and then line your grill pan with a layer of foil and a piece of baking parchment. Lay the chicken skin side up in the grill pan.
- Chop the softened margarine into cubes into a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest, juice, garlic, chopped tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Mash this together with a fork until it is all combined well.
- Gently lift the skin away from the breast of the chicken and spread about 1/3 mixture under the skin over the breast meat. Smear the rest of the mixture over the skin of the chicken and then chuck the two lemon halves into the tray along with the stock and wine/vermouth.
- Line a shallow tray with some baking parchment and arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Drizzle with a little oil and season before roasting alongside the chicken.
- Roast for 45-60 minutes or until the skin is crisp and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a knife in the thickest part.
- Let the chicken rest on a serving plate for 5 minutes. Add the honey to the pan juices according to taste. Arrange the roasted vegetables around the chicken and spoon over the pan juices before garnishing with the remainder of the tarragon leaves and the roasted lemon.
