I roast chickens in the oven often enough. Being a lazy cook, I never bother doing much other than sprinkling salt and pepper, and sometimes, tugging herbs into the skin.
For oven roasting, is the spatchcock technique worth the effort? I understand its not much effort to cut the backbone and the breast bone, but is the result noticeably better than roasting the chicken the ātraditionalā way? Thoughts?
Note we arenāt talking about grilling the chicken, which I understand having a flatter/ spatchcocked chicken will help the chicken cook more evenly.
I definitely think the spatchcocking makes a big difference. The chicken cooks more evenly and the skin is crispy. Itās easier to carve as well. I have the butchers at my local Whole Foods do it. Some of them arenāt familiar with the term, but I say itās like butterflying, and they seem to get it. Iām a lazy cook too. I use various dry rubs, and I think it turns out great! Make sure you let it rest for 10 - 15 minutes after you take it out of the oven.
The main reason Iāve spatchcocked is to get chicken fat cooked potatoes. You line the pan with sliced potatoes, and elevate the chicken above on a flat roasting wire thingy. As the flattened chicken cooks, the rendered fat evenly bastes the potatoes. Potatoes also prevent smoke from forming when hot fat hits an empty pan.
I seem to remember it being easier to evenly apply seasoning under the skin with a spatchcock, but Iām not sure that makes a big difference once cooking spreads things out.
I think itās worth the (minimal) effort, if for no other reason than getting crispy skin everywhere. Nothing worse than soggy back skin! It also helps the chicken cook more evenly and faster, so less chance of the white meat getting overcooked.
Agreed itās minimal effort to cut out the back bone, which goes in the freezer carcass bag for stock. I do it most often when roasting a chicken. More even cooking and easier to cut and server.
When roasting upright like this, try jamming the NECK onto the upright. It WILL fit and go all the way down to the bottom of the upright. I use the removable center of an angel food pan. That way, the fat from the legs bastes the breast, and the wings donāt overcook.
Because when it is spatchcocked, you lay the whole chicken out flat, with all the skin facing up (not touching the pan). Everything has a chance to get exposed to the dry heat and get crispy.
Itās always great. You can get a couple of bricks and wrap them in foil and place on top of the chicken skin side down while cooking. Crispy skin. So good.
I roast a chicken weekly just in a cast iron skillet after dry-brining for 2 days. Iāve tried spatchcock method both in the skillet and on a roasting rack, but have not noticed any big difference as far as crispiness of skin. The dry-brine makes the biggest difference in flavor, just leave it uncovered in the fridge for 2 days. I usually just use salt but sometimes also garlic powder, smoked paprika or oregano and/or lemon zest.
I spatchcock for three reasons (when I bother): (1) you can season more evenly and use spices and herbs and citrus; (2) you retain the backbone to save for stock, and; (3) it think the whole bird cooks more evenly (you know, the leg/breast difference).
I retain all the bones for stock even if the chicken is roasted the non-spatchcocked way, but thatās because we eat at home, and I donāt really mind throwing all the chewed-on bones into a pot for stock.