You know what’s delicious? Roasted chicken. Related question: you know what’s really time-consuming and difficult to cook evenly? Roasted chicken. Unless you have the time to cook it low and slow, the breast always seems to dry out or the thighs wind up a little pink. This is not a new problem. Humans have been tackling the conundrum of how to cook a full bird quickly and evenly for centuries, and have come up with some pretty good ideas.
One of our favorites is spatchcocking, a term that first began popping up in Irish cookbooks as early as the 18th century. This method involves removing the chicken’s spine with a trusty set of kitchen shears so the bird can lay flat in the oven, allowing the meat to cook faster and more consistently. It’s believed that the term “spatchcock” emerged as an abbreviation for “dispatching the cock,” which is as clever as it is provocative.
Lately we’ve been spatchcocking some birds, smothering them in the same rub we use to make Castro’s chicken, and roasting them over a vegetable medley that includes red potatoes, carrots, celery, parsnip, onions, and brussel sprouts. You may have noticed these laying in the display case… or you may have missed them because our customers tend to buy them pretty quickly. We suspect it’s because these trays are an easy meal for the whole family that tastes like a bear hug from Mom feels.
Since we all could use a hug from Mom right now, we've added these spatcock chicken trays to our online menus in Far Hills and Basking Ridge for this weekend so you can order in advance. Enjoy!
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