Tonights Dinner, Spatchcock Chicken with Roasted Taters

M

MRobillard

New member
If you have never made spatchcock chicken in your skillet, I highly recommend it. It cooks some much quicker and really it just looks awesome!

To spatchcock a chicken, place the bird breast side down and cut up one side of the back bone than the other completely removing it. Turn the chicken over and flatten it out. I placed it on a bed of cut up potatoes that I tossed in some olive oil, dried thyme, salt and pepper. I brushed on some butter with thyme mixed in to help brown up the chicken as it cooked and sprinkled with salt and pepper. It went into the oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. I removed the chicken (after I took some pictures) and put the potatoes back in the oven under the broiler to crisp them up.

All in all it was a great Sunday night dinner on a weeknight!
 

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I don 't find it saves that much time on cooking a chicken, and the breast meat gets all mushed together. But I do it all the time for the big turkeys. Much better to get the even heat all around. But I *really* just like to say the word.
 
That and beer can chicken are two very common way to do a chicken on a grill, per the BBQ forums. I've likely done Spatchcock maybe 50 times. Can't say as I've ever experienced or heard of mushed meat.
 
Oh, I guess I'm guilty of carelessly using words from my cultural heritage. You see I would normally say - the 4 kids mushed into the back seat so we could get to the game on time.
I was trying to say the breast meat gets deformed (as contrasted to a classic oval shape) as the ribs are spread flat, with the thickest parts of the breast meat pushed together.
 
MRobillard,
Tonight is the second time I am trying the spatchcock chicken. I am cooking it in a #12 BSR Red Mountain DO with a layer of patos under the chicken, My question is, do you cover the pan? I tried covering it for the first 30 minutes then taking the lid off but the skin wasn't as crispy as I wanted it to be. Should I leave it uncovered the entire 40 minutes? I plan on taking the lid off a little sooner tonight, maybe after 20 minutes, but I would really appreciate some advise from someone who has done this many times.

Thanks for you recipe and for your help.

Jack
 
A skillet method I have seen involves wrapping two bricks in aluminum foil, preheating them along with the skillet in the oven, then using them as press weights on top. Appears to both heat from above and to press the bird even flatter to the skillet surface.
 
I haven't done the spatchcock chicken, but I have cooked the same thing using precut breasts, thighs, and legs.

I usually cook it covered for most of the cook time, then I remove the lid and place it on the upper rack under the broiler on low, just long enough to brown the chicken skin if necessary.

I also start with the skillet lid in the oven when I pre-heat it, so it is at temp when I put the skillet of chicken in the oven.
 
My 1880 CI stove without a temperature gage taught me how to cook at one of three temperatures in the oven. Slow, moderate or hot. My hand told me the difference. These work on the stove top also.

Slow - always use a lid to retain moisture.
Moderate - with or without a lid depending on desired texture.
Hot - No lid.

Spatchcock was created to be cooked hot and fast. (Dispatch the cock.)

Hilditch
 
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Hilditch, thank you for you giving a derivation for "spatchcock" Really... I've been wondering, but was afraid to ask. :-) Happy chicken cooking!

---------- Post added at 12:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:08 PM ----------

Oops--didn't read that last post carefully. Time to go back to housework as the typing is faulty! S.
 
Thanks to this post after about 40 tries I have finally cooked the perfect turkey. Medium smoked over apple and maple wood, then stuffed and baked so the breast was a juicy 145° and the dark meat was 165°. All in one piece so that when presented on the table it looked like a turkey! Even if it did have a thread holding the legs and thighs in place. I did not remove the back.

Unfortunately the details would take multiple pages to share so they are not to be shared. Everything on the internet tells one it is impossible to get perfectly cooked white meat, dressing and dark meat cooking a whole turkey. That is not true. So if this is a goal, don’t give up.

Hilditch
 
Pollo Diablo is an excellent recipe which uses a modified spatchcock method.
Chicken is brought out of the frig cold and cooked breast side down in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Another heavy pot is placed on top of the bird to weigh it down and help keep the chicken in contact with the hot pan. Flip the bird over and finish to temp in the oven. Remove the bird saute finely chopped hot pepper and skill ions .add a couple of teaspoons of flour stirring to form a light rouge. Deglaze with white wine and stir in some stock. Return the chicken and get ready.

Turkey from yesterday
 

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Doug D. said:
A skillet method I have seen involves wrapping two bricks in aluminum foil, preheating them along with the skillet in the oven, then using them as press weights on top. Appears to both heat from above and to press the bird even flatter to the skillet surface.
Click to expand...

I would think a pre-heated pizza stone would serve the same purpose. If I try this I promise pictures.
 
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