This is a beautiful sheet pan meal that appears more complicated than it is. A spatchcocked bird has the backbone removed so that the bird lies flat. This allows the bird to cook evenly and in a relatively short time. Placing the chicken on top of the vegetables allows the vegetables to baste and cook in the juices as the bird roasts.
While we use Savoy cabbage and carrots for this early fall dish, switching them out for root vegetables, like parsnips and Brussels sprouts, makes this enjoyable in late fall or winter as well. The seasoning spices are adjustable, but this blend is paprika forward and inspired by a dish my mom used to make.
Excerpted from Prairie by Dan Clapson and Twyla Campbell. Copyright © 2023 Dan Clapson and Twyla Campbell. Photographs by Dong Kim. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Related: Whole Roasted Tandoori Chicken with Tender Potatoes and Spicy Onions
ingredients
Spice blend
Chicken
directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Make the spice blend: Combine the paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and coriander in a small bowl. Set aside.
Drizzle 1 Tbsp of the oil on a large baking sheet or shallow roasting pan (18 x 13 x 2 inches), making sure it’s coated, then lay down the cabbage and carrots and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
To spatchcock the chicken, place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board and with kitchen shears cut up along one side of the backbone, starting at the tail and working your way up to the neck. Repeat the process on the other side of the backbone. Save that backbone for broth by placing it in a zip- lock bag in the freezer. Flip the bird over and press down on the breast to flatten.
Rub the chicken with the remaining 1 Tbsp oil and cover it with the spice blend. Put the chicken on top of the vegetables and place the baking sheet in the oven.
Roast for about 50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. The skin should be golden brown and crispy and juice from the thigh, when pierced with a fork, should run clear. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Place the pan in the centre of the table, on top of a wooden cutting board or metal trivets. Finish the bird with a scatter of flaky sea salt. Serve the lemon on the side, to spritz on the chicken after pieces are cut and served.
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