Butterflied Chicken with Cracked Olives and Jammy Eschalots

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6

With perfectly crisp skin and juicy meat, a roast chicken makes an impressive centrepiece for a Mother’s Day celebration. Here we butterfly the chicken, which involves removing the backbone and then flattening the bird so it cooks faster and more evenly. Also known as spatchcocking, it’s easy to do at home – all you need are a sharp pair of poultry shears and a strong hand. Before cooking, the bird is rubbed with a compound butter that includes garlic, lemon zest and citrusy-tasting sumac. Then we roast the chicken with halved eschalots that turn jammy and deliciously sweet in the hot oven. Sicilian olives add a buttery texture and meaty flavour to the finished dish, while fennel seeds and sesame seeds lend crunch.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, about 2.5 kg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. white sesame seeds
125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 garlic cloves, grated or minced
2 1/2 tsp. ground sumac
Zest of 1 lemon plus a few lemon slices for garnish (optional)
6 large eschalots, trimmed on both ends, peeled and halved lengthwise
Extra virgin olive oil as needed
1/2 cup (60 g) Sicilian olives, pitted and cracked
Flaky sea salt
Fresh oregano sprigs for garnish
1/4 cup (10 g) chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

To butterfly the chicken, place it breast-side down on a chopping board. Using sharp poultry shears, cut through the chicken along both sides of the backbone, then remove and discard the backbone. Turn the bird over so it is breast-side up and turn the thighs out. Using medium force with your palm, press down on the breastbone until it cracks and lays flat. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with a big pinch of salt.
Transfer the chicken, breast-side up, to a baking sheet and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Alternatively, refrigerate the chicken overnight. When ready to roast, remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 220°C.
Meanwhile, in a small frying pan over medium heat, combine the fennel seeds and sesame seeds. Cook, tossing frequently, until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the butter, garlic, sumac, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper and stir until blended.
Rub the butter mixture all over the outside of the chicken and underneath the skin. In a small bowl, toss the eschalots with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then tuck them under the chicken on the baking sheet.
Roast the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 74°C and inserted into the thigh registers 77°C, 50 to 55 minutes. Check the chicken a few times while roasting, rotating the baking sheet if needed to ensure the chicken browns evenly. If it starts to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminium foil. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, toss the olives with a little olive oil.
Transfer the chicken to a chopping board and cut into 8 pieces. First, carve off the legs and separate the thighs and drumsticks. Then cut the breast in half through the centre breastbone, then cut each breast in half.
Transfer the eschalots to a serving platter and arrange the chicken pieces on top. Pour the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle with the olives, fennel seeds and sesame seeds and flaky sea salt. Garnish with oregano sprigs, parsley and lemon slices and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen

Butterflied Chicken with Cracked Olives and Jammy Eschalots