Spatchcock Chicken Recipe with Za'atar and Lemon

Name: Spatchcock Chicken Recipe with Za'atar and Lemon
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 piece Chicken (1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds); 0 pieces Kosher Salt (kosher salt); 1 piece Garlic (1 to 2 heads of garlic, cut in half horizontally — up to 2); 1 piece Shallots (1 small onion or 5 to 6 shallots, sliced); 1 sprig Thyme (a few sprigs of thyme); ¾ cup Chicken Broth (¾ cups water or chicken stock); ¼ cup White Wine (¼ cup white wine or Prosecco); 0 pieces Black Pepper (freshly cracked black pepper); 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter (4 tablespoons unsalted butter); 1 tsp Zaatar (1 teaspoon za’atar or dried oregano crumbled between your fingers after measuring); ¾ tsp Cumin Powder (¾ teaspoon ground cumin); ¾ tsp Sumac (¾ teaspoon ground sumac or finely grated zest of one lemon (I use lemon)); ½ tsp Ground coriander (½ teaspoon ground coriander); 0 pieces Sliced Bread (Crusty bread for serving (optional)) — optional

A spatchcocked whole chicken roasted with za'atar, sumac, garlic, and shallots in a seasoned butter-lemon sauce.

60 minMiddle Eastern

Servings4

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Ingredients

For 4 servings

Chicken1 piece · 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
Kosher Salt0 pieces · kosher salt
Garlic1 piece · 1 to 2 heads of garlic, cut in half horizontally — up to 2
Shallots1 piece · 1 small onion or 5 to 6 shallots, sliced
Thyme1 sprig · a few sprigs of thyme
Chicken Broth¾ cup · ¾ cups water or chicken stock
White Wine¼ cup · ¼ cup white wine or Prosecco
Black Pepper0 pieces · freshly cracked black pepper
Unsalted Butter4 tbsp · 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Zaatar1 tsp · 1 teaspoon za’atar or dried oregano crumbled between your fingers after measuring
Cumin Powder¾ tsp · ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
Sumac¾ tsp · ¾ teaspoon ground sumac or finely grated zest of one lemon (I use lemon)
Ground coriander½ tsp · ½ teaspoon ground coriander
Sliced Bread0 pieces · Crusty bread for serving (optional) · optional

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Steps

1If you remember, salt the chicken in advance. Place chicken in a large bowl, sprinkle all over and inside with kosher salt — 1 teaspoon per pound is a good rule — cover bowl, and place it in the fridge until ready to cook.
2Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 425ºF. Choose a large cast-iron skillet, a 9×13-inch roasting pan or a small baking sheet. (I use this braiser.)
3Place the garlic, shallots, and thyme in the center of your pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the water and wine over top.
4To spatchcock the chicken, use kitchen shears to cut alongside the backbone. If your shears are sharp, this should be easy. If you get tripped up, try cutting closer to the backbone. Alternatively, use a chef’s knife on a cutting board. Remove the bone (save for stock making if you wish), and turn the chicken over so the breast is facing up.
5Place chicken in your pan over the garlic and shallots. Use the heel of your hands to press down on the breast and flatten it as much as you can. It’s OK if you break the breastbone. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels. Season with pepper to taste.
6Melt the butter in a small skillet. Stir in the za’atar, cumin, sumac or lemon zest, and coriander. Brush this seasoned butter all over the chicken.
7Transfer pan to the oven and cook for 45 minutes or until done—the time will depend on your bird. The chicken should be golden brown and the juices should run clear when the thigh is pricked. An instant read thermometer should register 165ºF. Transfer the bird to a carving board to rest for at least 10 minutes for cutting and serving.
8Dorie’s Notes: “If you’ve roasted the bird in a skillet, it’s nice to return the pieces to the pan and bring the whole thing to the table for a very casual grab, dip, and dunk dinner. Otherwise, put the chicken on a platter and pour the cooking juices into a serving pitcher. Either mash the garlic cloves and serve them as a spread instead of the butter for the bread, if you’re serving it, or place the garlic halves alongside the chicken and encourage everyone to squeeze the roasted garlic onto the bread or chicken.”