Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
We're working to fix a technical issue causing problems with our broadcasts. We'll have it resolved as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Recipe: Butterflied Whole Chicken

roast chicken
dbreen-Pixabay
roast chicken

Food Guy Greg Patent describes how to roast a 3-5 pound butterflied whole chicken, basted with herb-garlic-butter paste:

To butterfly a chicken, you'll need sturdy kitchen shears to remove the backbone. After that, it's a simple process to flatten the bird and loosen the skin so that you can flavor the flesh with the tarragon, garlic and mustard paste. A modest-sized chicken will cook in 30 minutes at 500 degrees or in 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

2 small garlic cloves, peeled

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

1 teaspoons olive oil

1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), at room temperature

Chop the garlic and mash it with a fork and 1/2 teaspoon salt to make a paste, or crush the garlic and salt in a mortar with a pestle. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the mustard, tarragon, and olive oil.

Put the chicken breast side down on your work surface. With kitchen shears, cut along one side of the neck or tail down the entire length of the chicken. Repeat on the other side of the backbone and remove it. Save to make chicken broth. Rinse chicken and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Turn the chicken breast up and set a couple of clean paper towels on the breast skin. Press down firmly-use your full weight-to open the chicken up and flatten the breast so that the chicken lies flat. Use the flat side of a meat pounder or an empty wine bottle to flatten the breast a bit more.

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 500 degrees or 350 degrees. Line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Trim long fingernails before you begin. With your fingers, pull the skin adhering to the flesh on both thighs and the breast to separate the skin from the flesh without tearing (see video). Insert your fingertips under the skin and tease skin away from the meat gently. Pick up a dab of the paste (about one-fourth) with a teaspoon and insert it under one side of the breast about halfway along its length. Repeat on the other side of the breast. Press on the skin to spread the paste on the chicken flesh. Do the same with both thighs. Salt and pepper the chicken all over.

Set the chicken skin side up in the pan and place in the oven. Roast 30 minutes at 500 degrees or 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Test for doneness by pricking the thickest part of the thigh. Juices should run clear yellow. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

To serve, use kitchen shears to divide chicken in half and to cut leg-thigh portions off the breast.

• Makes 4 servings.

(Broadcast: "The Food Guys," 11/24/13 and 11/22/20. Listen weekly on the radio at 9:53 a.m. Sundays, or via podcast.)

Become a sustaining member for as low as $5/month
Make an annual or one-time donation to support MTPR
Pay an existing pledge or update your payment information
Related Content
  • August 18th, 2013: Greg and Jon revisit one of their very first "Food Guys" topics: "Follow-the-Sun Pickles." Cucumbers, spices and liquid are stuffed…
  • August 25th, 2013: Jon and Greg praise the seasonal Montana peach, and Greg explains how to make peach galette, a "sheet of thin, buttery pastry topped…
  • September 1st, 2013: Greg and Jon give free-form instructions for simple tomato sauce, using fresh, flavorful tomatoes of the season. Freeze enough of it…
  • September 8th, 2013: If an abundance of corn on the cob has left you indifferent to one of summer's highlights, Jon and Greg are ready with suggestions:…
  • Whether it's cute and spring-green or three feet long and perfect for batting practice, Greg and Jon have suggestions for how to cook or bake the zucchini…
  • September 29th, 2013: Jon and Greg discuss a New York Times piece by Mark Bittman on the practice of giving prophylactic doses of antibiotics to…
  • September 22nd, 2013: Jon and Greg open with a quote from Julia Child - "It is hard to imagine a civilization without onions" - then go on to recommend…
  • October 6th, 2013: “Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness” ~Jane AustenJon and Greg's annual homage to apples includes a…
  • October 13th, 2013: This week, Jon and Greg discuss: eating habits; holidays; familial mealtime and cooking patterns; foods pushed on kids; turkey as an…
  • Greg and Jon advise how to pick a ripe pineapple, why to stick to the fresh kind, and how you'll benefit from eating it.Pineapple originated in an area…
  • October 27th, 2013: Jon and Greg discuss a recent New York Times opinion piece by Jo Robinson called "Breeding the Nutrition Out of Our Food," which…
  • November 3rd, 2013: Greg and Jon reveals the foods that they detested, then came to enjoy: pizza, rhubarb, and organ meats.
  • November 10th, 2013: Jon and Greg distinguish the traditional Italian focaccia, which is not unlike pizza crust, from the fluffy stuff Americans call…
  • Food Guy Greg Patent, a.k.a. The Baking Wizard, points out the sticky spots involved in baking this classic French apple Tart Tatin: Tarte Tatin (adapted…
  • December 1st, 2013: Greg and Jon discuss a November 2011 article in Food Safety News by Andrew Schneider, titled "Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn't Honey;…
  • December 8th, 2013: Jon and Greg lament a lack of accuracy on food labels, tying the problem to imprecise measuring. Greg recommends looking for…
  • December 15th, 2013: Greg and Jon paint in broad strokes an adaptation of Mai Pham's recipe for the Vietnamese soup, pho. Along with beef broth and…
  • December 22nd, 2013: Jon and Greg suggest three ways to cook leftover frozen duck breasts. Greg's easy method: sauté the breasts, then reduce them with…