Tonight, chez Lafrance, were having spatchcocked chicken. Again. Seems we never tire of this dish. Spatchcock refers to the clever manner of splitting open the chicken on the dorsal side and laying it flat for seasoning and cooking, a technique that works best AFTER the chicken has been dispatched, feathered and thoroughly thawed. Trust me on that. Spatchcocking increases the surface-to-volume ratio and makes for a shorter grilling time. See the picture below. The purists will have removed the backbone and sternum, but for Cornish Game hens, that is not really necessary. Traditionally, I simply seasoned the bird with seasoned salt, herbs and olive oil. But tonight, I shall augment this procedure by covering the chicken with a mixture of sweet onion slices,herbs and olive oil. Poulet Spatchcocké Aux Oignons Doux Split the chicken along the back bone, open him up, rinse & pat dry. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and herbs (thyme works well, as do herbes de Provence). Let your imagination run free here. Add whatever strikes your fancy (thinking paprika). Cover with a thin coat of olive oil and place on a cooking sheet covered with a double layer of thick aluminum foil. Bake in oven at 400 ˚F for 45 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 ˚F. Baste every 15 minutes with the tasty juices that will have accumulated at the bottom of the pan. Save those tasty juices. They make a great drip for the baked potatoes that you thoughtfully placed in the oven two hours prior to ready time. The difference today is that I will be adding a heap of thin sweet onion slices that have been thoroughly covered with summore herbs (commercial chicken spices, oregano, thyme, parsley). This will yield even more tasty juices and count (?) as one veggie serving. Bon appétit !
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 20:34:09 +0000