Cast Iron Spatchcock Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Onions
This technique—splitting, then flattening a chicken—yields a perfect roasted chicken in half an hour—that’s 15 minutes faster than a whole roasted bird. It also exposes more skin, which crisps up nicely at higher temperatures. The basic method is easy and you can customize it with your favorite ingredients.
Ingredients
1 3-4 pound whole chicken
8 small potatoes
3 onions cut into quarters (you can use red, white or yellow onions)
2 lemons
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Instructions
Place 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), breast side down, on a work surface.
Remove the Backbone which is done in two parts. Part 1 Starting at thigh end, cut along one side of backbone with kitchen shears. Remove the Backbone. Part 2 Turn chicken around; cut along other side. Now you can discard or save backbone for stock.
Flatten the Chicken. Flip chicken over and open it like a book. Press firmly on breastbone to flatten.
Preheat Oven to 500 degrees. Place the chicken in the cast iron pan. Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Toss the potatoes and the onions in olive oil and place around the chicken. Cook for 35 minutes or internal temperature reads 165 degrees when thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.
Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Carve and place on a large serving platter. Sprinkle the chicken with warm lemon juice and parsley. Serve the roasted potatoes and onions along with the chicken.
Notes/Tips: You can easily do this on a barbeque as well. Just place the cast iron pan to the side of the coals if using a coal BBQ or on the grill with a gas grill. Another flavor profile would be to use cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil in the pan with cubed sweet potatoes.
