Food & Wine calls this “quick-roasted chicken” to make it seem accessible I guess. It’s really Spatchcocked Chicken, which is a simple way to cook a whole chicken that requires only a good pair of kitchen shears and the courage to remove the bird’s spine and smash it flat. Once you’ve done it, you’ll do it all the time. This is Jacques Pepin’s recipe, BTW. And if you don’t have herbes de Provence, just combine as many of the following as you have to make the required amount: savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender flowers.
4-pound chicken
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 /2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 450F. Using poultry shears, cut along each side of the chicken backbone and remove it. Turn the chicken breast side up and press on the breast bone to flatten the chicken. Using a sharp knife, cut part way through both sides of the joint between the thighs and the drumsticks. Likewise, cut part way through the joint between the wings and the breast.
In a bowl, mix all of the remaining ingredients. Turn the chicken breast down and spread it with half of the mustard mixture. Set the chicken in a large skillet skin side up; spread with the remaining mixture.
Set the skillet over high heat and cook the chicken until it starts to brown, 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for 30 minutes, until the skin is browned and the chicken is cooked through. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 8 pieces, and serve.
Serves 4
