Spatchcocked Saffron Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Lay the chicken on a cutting board breast-side down, with the legs closest to you. Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone. Open the chicken like a book to reveal the ribs and sternum. Use a chef's knife to score the sternum vertically down the center, then use your hands and body weight to crack the sternum and flatten the breasts and rib cage. Season the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper.
• Lay the thyme sprigs in the center of a rimmed baking sheet and place the chicken on top, skin-side up. Roast the chicken until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 40 minutes.
• Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the oregano, thyme, 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the juice of 2 lemon halves and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place a kitchen towel over the top of a cutting board. Place the chicken on the towel breast-side down and locate the backbone. With sharp kitchen shears, cut along one side of the spine followed by the other, then remove the backbone and discard or reserve for stock. Flip the chicken over and lay flat. Press down firmly with your hands on the center of the breast. The breastbone should pop and the chicken should sit relatively flat. Season the chicken all over with 2 tablespoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper.
• Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to a rimmed sheet pan and distribute evenly. Place the chicken skin-side up in the middle. Rub the chicken's skin with 3 tablespoons of the oil and herb mixture.
• Toss the potatoes with 3 tablespoons of the oil and herb mixture. Distribute the potatoes around the chicken on the sheet pan. Roast for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 400 degrees F and continue roasting for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss the zucchini, cherry tomatoes and garlic in the remaining oil and herb mixture. Scatter around the sheet pan and roast until the chicken is totally cooked through, an additional 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest while you arrange the potatoes and vegetables on a platter.
• Separate the chicken into 6 pieces: 2 breasts with wing, 2 thighs and 2 legs. Arrange in the middle of the platter. Squeeze the remaining lemon halves over the platter and garnish with chopped parsley.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Rinse the chicken, pat dry and rub all over with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Generously season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Cook until the skin starts to crisp on the edges and the color is golden brown. Flip the chicken over with tongs, taking care not to splatter oil toward yourself, and add the garlic, rosemary and thyme around the chicken in the pan. Squeeze a lemon half over the top and place both lemon halves in the pan, cut sides down.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the chicken (skin side up) for 30 to 35 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 155˚ F when inserted in the thickest part of a breast. Let rest for about 10 minutes, then carve and serve with pan juices.

Steps:

• To spatchcock a chicken, cut along each side of the backbone with shears. Remove the backbone and reserve it for stock (it can be frozen up to 3 months). Turn chicken breast-side up; flatten it with your palm.
• In a small bowl, combine mint, cilantro, 3 tablespoons ghee, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon saffron. Carefully loosen skin from breasts and thighs with your fingers and rub ghee mixture under skin. Place chicken on a plate, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high. Brush grill with oil to prevent sticking. Rub chicken with remaining 3 tablespoons ghee and season with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon saffron. Reduce heat to medium.
• Grill the chicken, skin-side down, for 20 minutes. For more even cooking, the chicken can be weighted with a foil-covered brick, if desired. Flip chicken and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part, without touching the bone, registers 165 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes more.
• Transfer to a plate, cover, and let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Place chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Starting at the tail end, cut along both sides of backbone with kitchen shears. Remove backbone. Grabbing hold of both sides of the chicken, open it like a book. Turn breast side up. Push down on each side of breast with your hands until you hear it crack. Flatten chicken and transfer to one short end of the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second chicken.
• Combine salt, tarragon, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in oil. Run your fingers under chicken skin and rub tarragon paste under skin. Slide lemon slices under skin, in a single layer.
• Roast until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast reads 165 degrees F, about 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting each chicken into 8 pieces.

Steps:

• Spatchcock the chicken by using poultry shears or kitchen scissors (or a sharp knife) to cut along one side of the backbone until the chicken opens. If you like you can cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it, or leave it attached to roast with the rest of the bird. Open up the bird and place it so it lies flat, breast side up. Press hard onto the center of the breast until you feel a pop, and the breast lies more or less flat.
• In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, chile powder, paprika, mustard powder, oregano, pepper, allspice and bay leaves. Smear the mixture all over the chicken. Lay chicken, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet (or plate) and refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. If the chicken isn't on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer it to one. Roast chicken until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pricked with a fork (an instant-read thermometer plunged into the thickest part of the breast will read 150), 40 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven, cover bird with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with lime or lemon wedges on the side.