Roasting a chicken midweek is a clever thing to do. First, it makes you feel fancy when you’ve had a day from hell at the office. Second, it‘s quick to make. Third, you get multiple meals from it. In this busy, hectic 21st century, we need to cook smart, not hard!
This recipe involves a lovely home-made pesto smeared all over the chicken and inside the skin. Spatchcocking the bird basically spreads the chicken out in one even layer, making the chicken cook faster and more evenly. I would say cooking chicken this way takes about an hour give or take, but I always test the meat to ensure it’s done. A food thermometer is a handy tool for this.
This is a great roast chicken recipe for summer when you’re not really doing roast dinners anymore. I serve it with homemade sweet potato wedges and a salad.
Ingredients & Method
– 1 whole chicken (about 1.6 kg) *take it out of the fridge at least half an hour before to let it come to room temperature*
For the pesto:
– 1 handful of basil leaves
– 1 handful pine nuts
– 1/4 mug of grated Parmesan cheese
– 1/4 mug of olive oil
The rest:
– 50g butter (softened)
– Italian herbs (any kind of Italian dried herb mix will be fine, or use fresh but no pressure to do so)
– Salt and pepper
1) Prepare your pesto: Put the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and oil in a spice blender and blend them all together until you’ve got a smooth green saucy paste. Add more oil if it’s not quite coming together. Add more basil if it’s not green enough. Pour out into a bowl and add the softened butter. Mix the pesto with the butter until combined. Set aside.
2) Spatchcock your chicken: Put your chicken on a large chopping board and flip it over so it’s lying breast-side down and its legs are (would be) towards you. Get your sharp kitchen scissors or a good knife and cut along the back bone (you will end up cutting through the rib cage). Remove the back bone and save for a stock, or just discard it. Flip the chicken over and press down firmly on the breasts. The whole bird should now lie flat, and the legs should splay out a little.
3) Prepare your chicken: Preheat your oven to 200 C / 390 F / Gas 6. Line a large roasting tin or deep tray with foil and top with baking paper. Place the spatchcocked chicken into the tray. Make a slit at the plumpest end of each breast and slide your finger inside each one, between the skin and flesh, to create pockets. Spoon about half of the pesto butter into the breast pockets and smooth your fingers over the skin to disperse the butter evenly. Spread the rest of the pesto butter over the rest of your bird. Sprinkle over your Italian herbs and season with salt and pepper.
4) Roast: Put your chicken in the middle of the oven and roast for 50-60 minutes. Five minutes before the end of cooking, sprinkle over some pine nuts. To check that the chicken is done, pull the leg away from the body and make a cut into the flesh underneath. If the juices run clear, it’s done. If the juices are still bloody, put the chicken back in the oven. You can also cut into the thickest part of the breast to do the same test. The easiest way to check doneness is by using a food thermometer. Stick it into the same places; if it reaches 75 C / 165 F, your chicken is cooked.
5) Rest: Allow your chicken to rest for at least 20 minutes before you start carving it up.
Serving Suggestions:
– With sweet potato wedges and a generous helping of salad.
Leftover ideas:
– Use the breast meat in pasta with more pesto sauce.
– Use any of the meat in a sandwich or wrap.
– Shred the meat off the thighs and legs and use in a stir fry, on top of nachos, or inside a quesadilla.
– Add to broth for a homemade chicken soup (use the discarded back bone from the chicken and it’s leftover carcass to make a chicken stock)
– Use any of the meat in a salad with the dressing of your choice.
Baking Cupboard Journal 