Crispy Butterfly Chicken Recipes

BROILED, BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position the oven rack 8 inches from the flame/coil and turn broiler to high. Crack peppercorns with a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Add garlic and salt and work well. Add lemon zest and work just until you can smell lemon. Add just enough oil to form a paste.
• Check out your refrigerator for onions, carrots and celery that are a little past their prime. Cut vegetables into pieces and place in a deep roasting pan.
• Place chicken on a plastic cutting board breast-side down. Using kitchen shears, cut ribs down one side of back bone and then the other and remove. Open chicken like a book and remove the keel bone separating the breast halves by slicing through the thin membrane covering it, then by placing two fingers underneath the bone and levering it out. Turn chicken breast-side up and spread out like a butterfly by pressing down on the breast and pulling the legs towards you. Loosen the skin at the neck and the edges of the thighs. Evenly distribute the garlic mixture under the skin, saving 2 teaspoons for the jus. Drizzle the skin with oil and rub in, being sure to cover the bird evenly. Drizzle oil on bone side of chicken as well.
• Arrange bird in roasting pan, breast up, atop vegetables.
• Place pan in oven being sure to leave the oven door ajar. Check bird in 10 minutes. If the skin is a dark mahogany, hold the drumstick ends with paper towels and flip bone-side up. Cook 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Juices must run clear. Remove and place chicken into a deep bowl and cover loosely with foil.
• Tilt pan so that any fat will pool at corner. Siphon this off with a bulb baster. (This fat is great in vinaigrettes). Set pan over 2 burners set on high. Deglaze pan with a few shots of red wine and scrape brown bits from bottom using a carrot chunk held with tongs. Add chicken stock, thyme, the remaining garlic paste and reduce briefly to make a jus. Strain out vegetables and discard. Slice chicken onto plates or serve in quarters. Sauce lightly with jus and serve.

CRISP-SKIN HIGH-ROAST BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Immerse chicken and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 500°.
• Line bottom of broiler pan with foil and spray with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Remove chicken from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Following illustrations 1 through 6, butterfly chicken, flatten breastbone, apply flavored butter (if using), and position chicken on broiler pan rack; thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
• Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Spread potatoes in even layer in foil-lined broiler pan bottom. Place broiler pan rack with chicken on top. Rub chicken with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with pepper.
• Roast chicken until spotty brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to roast until skin has crisped and turned a deep brown and an instant-read internal thermometer registers 160° in thickest part of breast, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to cutting board. With potholders, remove broiler pan rack; soak up excess grease from potatoes with several sheets paper towels. Remove foil liner with potatoes from broiler pan bottom and invert foil and potatoes onto cookie sheet or second cutting board. Carefully peel back foil, using a metal spatula to help scrape potatoes off foil as needed. With additional paper towels, pat off remaining grease.

BUTTERFLIED ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking pan with aluminum foil. Place a rack on top of foil.
• Rub olive oil on both sides of chicken and generously season with salt and black pepper. Arrange lemon slices and rosemary on the rack and place chicken, skin-side up, onto the rack.
• Roast in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 45 to 55 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Transfer chicken to a serving platter and tent a piece of aluminum foil over it. Discard lemon and rosemary and remove rack.
• Pour wine into the baking pan and gently loosen the bits of food in the pan with a wooden spoon, being careful not to tear the foil. Strain pan juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil; cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken.

SPICY GRILLED BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN WITH CRISPY BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to 375 degrees F. Clean and oil the grates.
• To butterfly the chicken, use strong kitchen shears or poultry shears and cut down either side of the backbone. Pull out the backbone, turn the chicken over and press down on the breast of the chicken to flatten it out to one thickness.
• Place the butterflied chicken onto a rimmed baking sheet and lightly drizzle with grapeseed oil.
• In a small bowl, mix together the lemon zest, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle over the chicken, rubbing it in until every part is coated. Carefully lift the skin from the breasts and sprinkle some of the spice mixture directly on the meat as well.
• Place the chicken breast-side down on the grill, close the lid and grill for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken, close the lid and grill until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into 6 pieces (cut the breasts in half).
• While the chicken rests, drizzle both sides of the bread halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill, flipping halfway, until crispy and charred, 5 to 6 minutes. Grill the lemons cut-side down until charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Slice the bread into 3-inch pieces.
• Pile up the grilled bread on a large platter followed by the chicken pieces and lemon halves. Sprinkle with the scallions and parsley. Serve.

CRISPIEST BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix cold water and kosher salt together in a large bowl until salt dissolves. Add chicken legs. Cover entire bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Remove bowl from the refrigerator; drain and pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Place chicken legs in a plastic bag with 1 cup all-purpose flour and shake to coat.
• Pour buttermilk into a bowl. Mix remaining flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in another bowl. Dip each chicken leg in buttermilk; move to flour mixture and coat well.
• Heat canola oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fry chicken legs in hot oil in batches until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CRISPY BUTTERFLY CHICKEN

Steps:

• Butterfly the Chicken: Over the sink, remove the giblets from the chicken, if there are any (they are usually tucked into the cavity). Reserve all but the liver. (Discard the liver or reserve it for another use.) Hold the chicken over the drain and let any juices run out. Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• Season the chicken: Presalt the chicken, if you like and season with black pepper. If not presalting, season the chicken generously all over with salt and black pepper just before roasting. Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• Heat the oven: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 450 degrees (425 degrees convection). Let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 40 minutes while the oven heats. (This is less time than for a whole chicken because the butterflied bird warms up faster.) Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• Roast the chicken: Put the backbone and the reserved giblets on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet or ill a shallow roasting pan large enough to hold the bird without crowding or leaving too much space around it (about 10 by 15 inches). Set a flat roasting rack over them and lay the chicken on the rack, breast side up. (If you don't have a flat roasting rack, place the chicken directly on the baking sheet with the backbone and giblets around the edges.) Roast. If the drippings seem to be getting too dark or start to scorch during roasting, pour about ½ cup of water into the pan. Continue roasting until the skin is crisp and well browned in spots, the juices run almost clear when you prick the breast, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh (without touching bone) registers 170 degrees, about 50 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board (preferably one with a trough to collect juices) to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• Make a quick pan sauce if you like: Pour any juices from the pan into a small saucepan, discarding the backbone and giblets. (If a lot of browned bits are stuck to the roasting pan, add the wine or vermouth to the pan and scrape with a wooden spoon to dislodge. If they still won't come up, heat the roasting pan over medium heat to dissolve the drippings.) Bring the juices in the saucepan to a boil, whisking. Taste the sauce; if it tastes a little flat, add a few drops of lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• To Make the Romesco Sauce:
• Heat the Oven: Position racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and heat to 375 degrees (350 degrees convection Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• Roast the vegetables: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the garlic, peppers, and tomatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1½ teaspoons olive oil. Season lightly with salt and toss to coat. Slide the vegetables onto the top rack and roast, turning them with tongs once or twice during roasting, until the vegetables have dark spots on them, the tomatoes have split, and the peppers have begun to collapse, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to steam until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Let the garlic and tomatoes cool on the baking sheet. Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• Meanwhile toast the bread and almonds: Drizzle the bread slices on all sides with about 1½ teaspoons olive oil and place directly on the top oven rack to toast until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Spread the almonds on a small rimmed baking sheet and place on the lower rack to toast until lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let the bread and nuts cool. Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• Peel and seed the peppers: Working over a bowl to catch any juices, peel the skin from the peppers. (Resist rinsing them, as that will wash away some flavor.) Once peeled, gently tear the stem and core away from the flesh of each pepper and discard the stem and seeds. (Don't obsess over removing every last seed and/or charred bit.) Drop the peppers into the bowl of a food processor. Add any collected juices, straining the juices if necessary to remove seeds or skin. Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• Puree the sauce: Break the toasted bread into bite-sized pieces and add it to the food processor. Slide the garlic cloves out of their skins and add them. Pinch off the tomato skins and add the tomatoes to the food processor too. Add the almonds, vinegar, piménton, red pepper flakes, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Pulse to a coarse puree. With the machine running, add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil; process just long enough to incorporate the oil, as overprocessing can turn the sauce bitter. Season to taste with salt. Don't be shy with the salt-this sauce should be bold. Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99
• Serve or store: Serve warm or at room temperature. The sauce will keep, covered tightly in the refrigerator, for at least a week. Reheat it gently in a saucepan or let come to room temperature before serving. Taste before serving, as refrigeration can mute the flavors. If it tastes at all bland, add a splash of sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt Read more at http://www.cookstr.com/Chicken-Recipes/Crispy-Butterflied-Roast-Chicken#jymdQiamT2Gv2vDU.99