Fall Roast Chicken
Ingredients:
1 spatchcock chicken
For the butter:
100 grams or one stick of butter, softened
3 cloves garlic, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
For finishing the chicken:
4 sprigs rosemary
About 8 fresh sage leaves
2 small onions or shallot, chopped into quarters
1 cup hard cider (I think sparkling cider would also work)
2 cups chicken stock
Options to serve with:
roasted vegetables
mashed potatoes
crispy potatoes
Fresh sourdough
Instructions:
Heat your oven to 200 C or 400 F.
Mix the softened butter, garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Lay out your chicken onto a clean plate or baking tray. Dry it off with a paper towel, and stretch the skin so it looks neat and tight for a nicer final presentation.
Just before coating your chicken in butter, begin to heat your pan. I used a small roasting pan, but you could use a Dutch oven, large cast iron skillet, or deep frying pan.
Thoroughly coat the chicken with the butter, making sure you get into creases and flipping it over to coat the underside. If you have any extra butter, save it and use it with whatever sides you’re making, whether it’s potatoes, roasted veggies, sourdough, etc.
Place your chicken skin side down into the hot pan. Let it sear until deeply golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. When you’re happy with the color, flip the chicken over.
Add the rosemary, sage, onion, cider, and chicken stock directly into your pan.
Bring the contents of the pan to a simmer, and then place it into the oven.
Let the chicken roast for about 30 minutes, basting it with the liquid halfway through. My chicken took about 25 minutes, but yours takes more or less, depending on your oven and the exact size of the chicken. I would recommend testing if it’s done at about 20 minutes by placing a metal knife into the thickest part of the chicken for 10 seconds. Remove the knife and quickly tap it to your wrist. The chicken is ready if you have a visceral reaction and the knife is hot.
Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes, ideally closer to 30 minutes. Because the chicken is spatchcocked, it should be easy to carve, and the breasts and legs should essentially slice right off.
Strain the cooking liquids left in the pan. Discard the onion & herbs, and return the strained liquid to your roasting pan. Bring it to a simmer to reduce the liquid until it becomes slightly syrupy. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. If the liquids do not thicken, you can make a beurre manié, equal parts flour and butter (1 tsp flour and 1 tsp butter combined) whisked into the pan to thicken the liquid.
Serve the carved chicken over your choice of sides and spoon the thickened liquid over the dish. Enjoy!
