Rock Creek Spatchcock Chicken
(AKA Butterflied Chicken)
| A simple way to grill a whole chicken in about half the normal time. | |
| 1 4 to 6 lb. Rock Creek Chicken | |
| 3 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 3 tablespoons of your favorite dry barbecue rub or make your own using our recipe from the menu | |
| Spatchcock This is a term that is thought to have originated in 18th century Ireland. It means "to butterfly". Basically, you cut the backbone out of the chicken so you can open it up and press it flat. The following directions will show how it is done: | |
| Remove neck and giblets from chicken and set aside for another use. | |
| Lay the chicken breast down. This means the legs are under the bird, and the wings are on top. |  |
| With a good pair of kitchen shears* start cutting just beside the backbone, from the neck to the tail. |  |
| Cut through the ribs right along the backbone. |  |
| Here, the cut has been made all the way from front to back. |  |
| Start the second cut just on the other side of the backbone, again from the neck to the tail. |  |
| Here is the bird with the backbone completely cut out. Remember to save the backbone to add to the carcass to make Rock Creek Chicken Broth. |  |
| Spread the bird open and turn it over. |  |
| Press down on the bird until it lies relatively flat. You have just spatchcocked a chicken! |  |
| Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water. Then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Coat the enire chicken with olive oil. | |
| Sprinkle the dry rub on both sides of the bird. Cover and refrigerate the chicken while you preheat the grill. | |
| Set up the grill for indirect grilling, placing a drip pan in the center. Preheat it to medium, about 350°. | |
| Place the chicken in the center of the grill, over medium (350°) indirect heat, with the grill cover on. Cook for approximately ¾ to 1 hour or until the internal temperature registers 165° in the breast area and 180° in the thigh. | |
| Remove the bird from the grill and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. | |
| Bon Appétit | |
| Always save the bones and carcass to make your own Rock Creek Chicken Broth. | |
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Here is an excellent video from VirtualWeberBullet.com on how to butterfly/spatchcock a chicken |
| * These Wusthof Come-Apart multipurpose kitchen/utility shears are available from the Chef's Catalog. | |
This page was last modified on: 07/10/06 08:00:18 AM
