Alton Brown’s Roasted Butterflied Chicken
I was infatuated with Alton Brown of Good Eats recently so I hunt his videos on youtube. His method of roasting the chicken is so tempting I just had to make it. He butterflies the chicken, ensuring crispy skin on both sides. The meat is perfumed with herbs and spices as they are placed beneath the skin instead of the traditional skin-rub.
I modified the recipe a little as I wasn’t keen on leaving a lemon without its zest languishing on my counter top. But it is still lovely and fragrant and flavourful.
I will try this method to make a version of Ayam Taliwang, a grilled chicken special of Lombok. Chilies and spices underneath all that skin? I can feel the heat already!
Ingredients:
1 chicken, max 1 kg
1 tsp whole black pepper
2 cloves garlic, cut into sections
a pinch of salt
a bunch of herbs. I used provencal herb mix
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
Directions:
Heat the oven into 250 degrees Celsius.
In a mortar and pestle, grind the black pepper to a medium grind. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt. Mash the garlic into the pepper. Add the herbs and mash further. Add the olive oil and incorporate it into a paste. Set aside.
Butterfly the chicken and stuff it with the herbs as shown in the video. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and roast for approx. 45 minutes or until the meat is cooked and skin golden brown.
Remove the chicken from the roasting pan and let it rest. Meanwhile throw off all but 1 tbsp of the chicken fat. Bring the roasting pan to heat on the stove. When the oil starts to bubble, deglaze the pan with water. Reduce and thicken.
Carve the chicken onto a serving plate and drizzle with the jus.
