Rosemary-black pepper roasted spatchcocked chicken

Roasting chicken is an art. The chicken must be moist, and the flavours must infuse the meat. I have been working on recipes that must be perfect.

Here is one that is very close. The brining step is critical; the chicken is tender and moist. The marination is also an extended process to allow the meat to absorb the flavours. The spices were perfect: spice from the pepper and a subtle earthiness from the rosemary. The recipe is simple, but you need to plan ahead for the overnight brining and marination steps. The chicken was delicate, and I served it with mashed potatoes and baguette to sop up the juice.

This is one of those cookbooks that I looked at for a long time and finally decided to get. It is a wonderful cookbook filled with flavours from across the globe. Each recipe turns out superb but be prepared to get lots of new ingredients on your shelf and spend some time in the kitchen. I highly recommend this book for those who are looking for different flavours.

For more delicious recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the brine:

1/2 cup salt

3 tablespoons sugar

24 cups water

1 chicken, about 2-2 1/2 lbs

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon rosemary, fresh or dried, minced

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds

Zest and juice of 2 limes or lemons

To spatchcock the chicken, Place it breast-side down. Using scissors, start at the neck and cut down one side of the backbone. Stop towards the end, cut through the backbone and up the other side, removing the backbone completely.

Open the chicken, revealing the backbone. Press down on the breastbone very hard. You can use the heel of your hand or a hammer to break the breastbone.

Mix the water, salt and sugar. Soak the chicken in the water in the fridge for at least 12-24 hours.

Remove the chicken from the brine and drain. Allow to drip until almost dry.

Mix all the ingredients for the spice mix. Gently apply the mix below the skin to the breast, thigh, and leg pieces with your fingers. Tie up the legs using kitchen twine. Marinate for at least 6 hours, but overnight is always better.

Heat the oven to 400° F.

Add the chicken to a roasting pan. Roast the chicken in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes. To check if the chicken is cooked, make a small slit in the thigh to see if the juice run is clear. The legs and wings should be easily removed, and the skin should be dark brown and crisp.

Remove and tent, allowing the chicken to sit for 8 minutes.

Serve on a platter and carve on the table.