In early December in preparation for a chat with Margaret Roach , I cooked furiously through as many new cookbooks as I could. I discovered some gems in the process, namely this spatchcocked chicken recipe with lemon and za’atar from Dorie Greenspan’s latest book, Everyday Dorie .
It came together effortlessly, cooked quickly, and looked stunning, yielding an abundant and flavorful sauce, perfect for dunking crusty bread into. I served it as Dorie suggested, right out of the skillet, “for a very casual grab, dip, and dunk dinner.” With bread in hand, not a buttery clove of garlic, a melting sliver of shallot or a drip of sauce was spared.
The beauty of this dish as Dorie notes is its adaptability: “If you fall in love with the technique,” she says, “you can put it in the rotation and fiddle with the flavors each time.”
I’ve been enjoying the suggested combination of za’atar, cumin, coriander, and lemon, but I’m looking forward to trying her French variation with fresh tarragon replacing the spices entirely.
Everything in Everyday Dorie looks and sounds so inviting: roasted squash hummus, black bean chipotle dip, chicken Milanese with celery salad, slow-roasted tomatoes for everything, so-good Miso corn, oven-charred tomato-stuffed peppers.
PS: What to do with Leftover Roast Chicken? Make a Salad
PPS: How to Roast A Chicken and Make the Most of it
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
- Remove the backbone. A pair of sharp kitchen shears makes this an easy task. Tip: If you find your scissors getting stuck, try cutting even closer to the backbone.
- Place chicken in cooking vessel. I love using my Le Creuset braiser for cooking spatchcocked birds but you could use a rimmed sheet pan or 9 x 13-inch pan — something on the shallow side is ideal.
- Use the heel of your hand to press down hard on the breast to flatten the bird. It’s OK if you break the breast bone when you flatten it. (See video above.)
Here’s a play-by-play. If you remember, salt your chicken ahead of time—it helps keep the breasts from drying out, and generally helps keeping the chicken juicy.
Gather your ingredients.
Halve the heads of garlic. Slice the shallots.
Place them in a skillet with thyme or other herbs. Add white wine and stock (or water).
Make a seasoned butter. You can do this with softened or melted butter. I prefer to melt.
Brush it all over the chicken, then chuck the whole thing in the oven for 45 minutes.
Let it rest briefly, then serve with lots of crusty bread .
Description
Adapted from Everyday Dorie
Salting in Advance: Salting the morning you plan to cook chicken or other meat is sufficient, but it’s best if you can do it the day before or even two or three days ahead of time. I find this makes a big difference especially when I’m cooking a whole chicken — it helps keep the breast juicy — and less as important, when I’m roasting a spatchcocked bird, which generally cooks more evenly.
Spices: If you don’t have sumac or za’atar or any of the others, don’t worry — lemon zest, salt, and pepper would suffice as would any combination of the spices listed. Dorie’s French variation calls for omitting the spices and using fresh tarragon and lemon zest in their place.
One change: Dorie calls for using softened butter, which she mixes with the spices and rubs all over the chicken including under the skin and over the breast and other parts. I use melted butter instead, which I stir the spices into and brush over top.
- 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
- kosher salt
- 1 to 2 heads of garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 1 small onion or 5 to 6 shallots, sliced
- a few sprigs of thyme
- ¾ cups water or chicken stock
- ¼ cup white wine or Prosecco
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon za’atar or dried oregano crumbled between your fingers after measuring
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon ground sumac or finely grated zest of one lemon (I use lemon)
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- Crusty bread for serving (optional)
- If you remember, salt the chicken in advance. Place chicken in a large bowl, sprinkle all over and inside with kosher salt — 1 teaspoon per pound is a good rule — cover bowl, and place it in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 425ºF. Choose a large cast-iron skillet, a 9×13-inch roasting pan or a small baking sheet. (I use this braiser .)
- Place the garlic, shallots, and thyme in the center of your pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the water and wine over top.
- To spatchcock the chicken, use kitchen shears to cut alongside the backbone. If your shears are sharp, this should be easy. If you get tripped up, try cutting closer to the backbone. Alternatively, use a chef’s knife on a cutting board. Remove the bone (save for stock making if you wish), and turn the chicken over so the breast is facing up.
- Place chicken in your pan over the garlic and shallots. Use the heel of your hands to press down on the breast and flatten it as much as you can. It’s OK if you break the breastbone. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels. Season with pepper to taste.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet. Stir in the za’atar, cumin, sumac or lemon zest, and coriander. Brush this seasoned butter all over the chicken.
- Transfer pan to the oven and cook for 45 minutes or until done—the time will depend on your bird. The chicken should be golden brown and the juices should run clear when the thigh is pricked. An i nstant read thermometer should register 165ºF. Transfer the bird to a carving board to rest for at least 10 minutes for cutting and serving.
- Dorie’s Notes: “If you’ve roasted the bird in a skillet, it’s nice to return the pieces to the pan and bring the whole thing to the table for a very casual grab, dip, and dunk dinner. Otherwise, put the chicken on a platter and pour the cooking juices into a serving pitcher. Either mash the garlic cloves and serve them as a spread instead of the butter for the bread, if you’re serving it, or place the garlic halves alongside the chicken and encourage everyone to squeeze the roasted garlic onto the bread or chicken.”
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Description
Adapted from Everyday Dorie
Salting in Advance: Salting the morning you plan to cook chicken or other meat is sufficient, but it’s best if you can do it the day before or even two or three days ahead of time. I find this makes a big difference especially when I’m cooking a whole chicken — it helps keep the breast juicy — and less as important, when I’m roasting a spatchcocked bird, which generally cooks more evenly.
Spices: If you don’t have sumac or za’atar or any of the others, don’t worry — lemon zest, salt, and pepper would suffice as would any combination of the spices listed. Dorie’s French variation calls for omitting the spices and using fresh tarragon and lemon zest in their place.
One change: Dorie calls for using softened butter, which she mixes with the spices and rubs all over the chicken including under the skin and over the breast and other parts. I use melted butter instead, which I stir the spices into and brush over top.
- 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
- kosher salt
- 1 to 2 heads of garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 1 small onion or 5 to 6 shallots, sliced
- a few sprigs of thyme
- ¾ cups water or chicken stock
- ¼ cup white wine or Prosecco
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon za’atar or dried oregano crumbled between your fingers after measuring
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon ground sumac or finely grated zest of one lemon (I use lemon)
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- Crusty bread for serving (optional)
- If you remember, salt the chicken in advance. Place chicken in a large bowl, sprinkle all over and inside with kosher salt — 1 teaspoon per pound is a good rule — cover bowl, and place it in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 425ºF. Choose a large cast-iron skillet, a 9×13-inch roasting pan or a small baking sheet. (I use this braiser .)
- Place the garlic, shallots, and thyme in the center of your pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the water and wine over top.
- To spatchcock the chicken, use kitchen shears to cut alongside the backbone. If your shears are sharp, this should be easy. If you get tripped up, try cutting closer to the backbone. Alternatively, use a chef’s knife on a cutting board. Remove the bone (save for stock making if you wish), and turn the chicken over so the breast is facing up.
- Place chicken in your pan over the garlic and shallots. Use the heel of your hands to press down on the breast and flatten it as much as you can. It’s OK if you break the breastbone. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels. Season with pepper to taste.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet. Stir in the za’atar, cumin, sumac or lemon zest, and coriander. Brush this seasoned butter all over the chicken.
- Transfer pan to the oven and cook for 45 minutes or until done—the time will depend on your bird. The chicken should be golden brown and the juices should run clear when the thigh is pricked. An i nstant read thermometer should register 165ºF. Transfer the bird to a carving board to rest for at least 10 minutes for cutting and serving.
- Dorie’s Notes: “If you’ve roasted the bird in a skillet, it’s nice to return the pieces to the pan and bring the whole thing to the table for a very casual grab, dip, and dunk dinner. Otherwise, put the chicken on a platter and pour the cooking juices into a serving pitcher. Either mash the garlic cloves and serve them as a spread instead of the butter for the bread, if you’re serving it, or place the garlic halves alongside the chicken and encourage everyone to squeeze the roasted garlic onto the bread or chicken.”
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2019/01/14/dorie-greenspans-spatchcock-chicken-with-zaatar-lemon/
On New Year’s Day my friend Teri texted me a photo of her “Boxing Day salad,” a mix of blood oranges, arugula, shaved fennel, thinly sliced red onion and pomegranate seeds.
“Fresh and bright,” she wrote. “Nice way to wrap up that holiday blitz!”
So true , I thought. Like many, I found myself on January 1st needing a break from the booze and the cheese and the sweets that abound at every turn during the last six weeks of the year. Shortly after seeing Teri’s photo, I made my way to the grocery store in search of winter citrus and greens. Nothing sounded more refreshing or perfect than that very salad at that very moment.
I made the salad for dinner that evening, and I’ve made it a number of times since. It’s nice aside soup or really any wintry dish, but it also can stand alone with the addition of a little protein. I’ve been pulling leftover roasted chicken, tossing it with the greens and fennel, and calling dinner done (with a hunk of bread on the side, of course).
Incidentally, I made this on Instagram Stories , and someone messaged me saying her family makes this salad all the time with the addition of salty black olives. The combination of blood oranges, fennel, pomegranates, and parmesan (or Pecorino) is a classic Sicilian salad, and the addition of black olives is a variation of the dish. Depending on your preferences, change up the contents as you like. And if you really can’t get behind fennel, thinly sliced endive works beautifully, too.
Another idea: plate the salad on individual plates—might be fun for a party?
Description
This is more of a guide than a recipe. Here are the essential elements:
- sliced oranges, any variety you like though Cara Cara and blood oranges are particularly nice
- citrus-shallot vinaigrette
- arugula
- thinly shaved fennel or endive
- shaved parmesan
A few other ideas: Teri showered her salad with thinly sliced red onions and pomegranate arils, both of which looked striking. When I made this on Instagram Stories , someone messaged me saying her family makes something similar with the addition of salty black olives, which is a classic Sicilian combination.
If you’re looking for video guidance, I made the whole salad in Instagram Stories .
This salad, with the addition of a little protein, could be a standalone meal. I’ve been pulling leftover roasted chicken and tossing it with the greens and fennel. Without the chicken, it’s nice aside soup or really any wintry main course.
- 1 to 2 shallots minced to yield 1/4-1/3 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 2 to 3 oranges (count on 1 orange per person)
- flaky sea salt such as Maldon
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 to 4 ounces arugula
- 1 head fennel
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- In a small bowl, combine the shallots, salt, and vinegar. Set aside while you peel the oranges.
- Slice off the end of each orange. Squeeze the juice from each end into the bowl of shallots and vinegar. Working with one orange at a time, stand it on its flat end. Use your knife to slice down around the orange to remove the skin. Hug the flesh as you slice—it’s better to lose some flesh in the rind than to have pith clinging to the flesh. Squeeze the rinds into the bowl of shallots and vinegar to extract any juice. Repeat until you’ve peeled all of the oranges. (Video guidance in Instagram Stories. )
- Working with one orange at a time, turn it on its side and slice down crosswise to create 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the oranges on a platter. Season with flaky sea salt.
- Using a fork, whisk the olive oil into the dressing—it will not be emulsified. Taste. Adjust seasoning with more salt if necessary or more oil for a little less bite. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of dressing over the oranges.
- Place the greens and thinly sliced fennel into a large bowl. Drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the dressing. Toss lightly to coat. Taste. Adjust with more dressing or salt to taste.
- Pile the greens on top of the oranges. Use a peeler to shave Parmigiano Reggiano over top. Crack pepper to taste over top. Serve with knife and fork.
- Store extra dressing in a jar in the fridge or at room temperature if your kitchen is cool. Shake or whisk well before using.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
