Butterflied Chicken with Cracked Spices

Butterflied Chicken with Cracked Spices

(adapted from recipe by Pete Wells, NYT Cooking)

This is fast and tasty, as spice rub can be done ahead, and cooking times vary with intensity of heat and size of chicken. In springtime, serve with tender young bitter greens — arugula, watercress or baby dandelions — tossed in a sharp vinaigrette.

Yield: 3-4 servings

Prep/Cook Time: about 45 min -1hour

Utensils needed: Spice grinder or mortar and pestle, broilerpan or grill, heavy chef’s knife or poultry shears, roasting pan

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken, around 3 pds or slightly larger, (but NOT 5 pound chicken, too big! See Note below)

2 TBS olive oil

2 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp coriander seed

½ tsp black peppercorns

¼ tsp cumin seed

2 tsp coarse sea salt

½ tsp hot paprika or pimentón

Lemon halves or fat wedges

PREPARATION

1. Light a grill or set your broiler on high and give it a 10-minute head start.

2. Butterfly (or spatchcock) chicken by cutting out chicken’s backbone with poultry shears or a sharp heavy chef’s knife (or ask a butcher to do this). Save backbone to make stock.

3. Place chicken skin side up in roasting pan. Press firmly on the breast with heels of your hands until it cracks and flattens. (Use pressure) Move legs so they lie flat and drumsticks point out. Tuck wingtips over tops or cut them off. Rub bird with oil. (Extra oil may fall onto pan.)

4. Coarsely grind fennel, coriander, peppercorns and cumin with a mortar/ pestle or with 8 or 9 pulses in a spice grinder. Mix in salt and paprika/ pimento. Sprinkle rub on both sides of bird.

5. Set chicken skin side down on grill or skin side up on broiler rack with highest point of bird about 10 inches from flame. (Measure this as it is further away from the heat source than you think! If less than 10 inches, the chicken will smoke a lot once fat is released) When skin begins to brown (6 -7 minutes), flip chicken over. (Easy way is to grab ends of drumsticks with paper towels or oven mitts.)

6. After about 10 minutes, when bony side is browned, lower heat to medium-high (400 if you're using an oven), flip chicken again and cook another 10 minutes, or until skin is crisp and brown and thickest part of thigh reaches 165 degrees. (check using a meat thermometer) Let rest about 5 minutes before carving.

7. Spoon any juices that have collected in broiler pan or platter over chicken. Serve with lemon.

Note on chickens: To get a 3-31/2 pd chicken, you will probably have to go to a butcher, or buy an organic chicken from a high-end market.  They can be difficult to find.  You might be able to use a 4 pd chicken for this recipe, but don’t go bigger or it won’t cook properly. The legs will be raw and the breast overcooked.