Mario's Weekend Cooking Challange: Spatchcocked Chicken With Potatoes

Mario's Weekend Cooking Challenge is a Facebook Group for people to get together, once a month and cook the same recipe, compare notes and discuss outcomes. It is put together by Mario Bosquez host of "Living Today" on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112 & XM 157

This month, I had to prepare my recipe on a Thursday since I was stuck working all weekend long.

This month's cooking challenge recipe is Spatchcocked Chicken with Potatoes and is courtesy of Sandy Gluck, Co-Host of the Everyday Food Radio show on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Sandy is a fantastic and creative chef (she can create a delicious meal out of almost anything!), and fun radio personality. Get 3 different variations of this recipe here: Spatchcocked Chicken


This technique---splitting, then flattening a chicken---yields a perfect roasted chicken in less time than a whole one takes. It also exposes more skin, which crisps up nicely at higher temperatures.

This simple chicken dish utilizes a few basic ingredients and the results are a moist, juicy and flavorful chicken! Ingredients included are a whole chicken (of course), some thin slices of lemon, fresh sprigs of thyme (the first from my herb garden!), some new potatoes & onion.

Now, How To Spatchcock A Chicken (WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPH FOLLOWS!)

1. Place 1 whole chicken, breast side down, on a work surface.

2. Starting at the thigh end, cut along one side of backbone with poultry or sharp kitchen shears.

3. Turn chicken around, cut along other side. Discard or save backbone for stock.

4. Flip chicken over and open it like a book. Press firmly on breastbone to flatten.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Season the the chicken with salt and pepper. Gently loosen the skin of the breast with your fingers and insert lemon slices and some thyme sprigs. Place chicken in a roasting pan.

In a bowl, toss potatoes, onion, thyme with some olive oil, salt & pepper. Add this to the roasting pan.

Now, we need to take a moment to discuss proper hand washing and cleanliness when handling raw poultry! It's VERY important that you wash hands thoroughly and often, as well as your work area and ALL utensils to limit the spread of harmful bacteria that can be associated with raw poultry!

Of course, I recommend using these great all-natural products from the new Martha Stewart Clean line available at your local Home Depot and other local stores.

Roast the chicken until the juices run clear when pierced between the breast and leg and an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone), which should take about 30 minutes!

Let chicken rest 5 minutes before carving!