Spatchcock Roast Chicken with Mustard Butter and Rosemary Salsa Verde
For the Chicken
1 3.5-4lb chicken, spatchcocked
4 tbsp room temperature unsalted butter
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 medium onion roughly chopped
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
3-4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
Black pepper to taste
For the Salsa Verde
1 large handful parsley
1 large handful fresh oregano
4-5 rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
3-4 anchovy fillets
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
Olive oil
Fresh Grated Parmesan, salt and black pepper to taste
Dry Brine the Chicken
24 hours before roasting, pat the chicken dry, place on a wire rack with a baking sheet underneath, and season the spatchcocked chicken with 1tsp of salt per pound of meat (rounding up) and 1 tsp total of sugar. Add pepper to taste. As an optional step, I loosen the skin from the flesh by running my fingers under the skin. This ensures maximum crispiness. Let the chicken sit uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry brine. This will allow the salt to penetrate the meat while also drying out the skin for crispitude.
Prep the Chicken and Roast
2 hours before roasting, pull the chicken from the fridge and allow to sit on the counter. The chicken should come up to room temperature before roasting to ensure an even cook, and to minimize cook time. Preheat oven to 400F.
Before roasting, combine mustard and room temp butter and slather on the chicken and underneath the skin. Then, drizzle the chicken with a touch of olive oil. Place chopped onion and thyme on the baking sheet underneath the wire rack. The onion/thyme provide moisture that prevents the rendered fat from burning and also flavors it. Roast until a thermometer reads 165F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast (in my oven, that was about 45-50 minutes). I’m dogmatic about temping meat, but if you don’t have a thermometer, roast until juices run clear after a small incision is made in the thigh.
Reserve the rendered fat from the sheet tray. Allow the chicken to rest on the wire rack at least 15 minutes before carving. Serve with Rosemary Salsa Verde (procedure below).
Make the Salsa Verde
In a food processor, combine herbs, garlic, anchovies, garlic, vinegar, and mustard and pulse to combine. Once combined, run the food processor while streaming in olive oil through the feed tube until a sauce-like consistency is achieved. Add salt, pepper, and grated parmesan to taste.