Blogging has been low on the list of priorities since my laptop died and took all my recipes with it! Cooking, however, has continued because the teen and I have to be fed!

In a rush the other day, so what’s nicer than roast chicken? When possible, I spatchcock the chicken so it cooks evenly and all the skin is crispy. The first time I did this I found the method a little creepy but the results were so good, I quickly got over that!

So how do I do it? I place the chicken breast side down. With a sharp scissors, rather than a knife, I cut along the back bone. Turning the chicken over, I push the bird downwards with the heel of my hand so that it is as flat as possible. If the bird is large, I use two large skewers, placed across the bird (leg to leg), to secure it and keep it flat throughout the cooking process. If it is smaller, I don’t bother.

This night’s offering was Lemon and Rosemary Chicken and I served this up with a mixed salad. The leftovers were few!

Ingredients
3lb  whole chicken
Sprig of fresh Rosemary
Half a lemon
Sea salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 175 C degrees
2. Spatchcock the chicken as above
3. Squeeze lemon juice over the bird and sprinkle the fresh Rosemary
4. Season with ground black pepper and sea salt flakes
5. Cook for 1 hour
6. Rest for 10 minutes and serve with accompaniments of your choice.