Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with Rice Pilaf
Can you roast a spatchcock chicken together with rice? Yes, and you absolutely should! All you need to do is cut out the back bone, flip it over and flatten it out. It cooks much more evenly like this. While that begins roasting, start making a pilaf. I use a vibrant collection of carrots, parsnips, and beets for a bold, earthy flavor. Top it with the par-cooked chicken, and drizzle with those precious pan drippings. They finish roasting together, then just carve it up and enjoy the succulence.
Ingredients
- 1 whole Chicken about 3-4 lbs
- 3 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- Kosher salt and Pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 small (or 1 medium) beets peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium parsnip peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 6-8 leaves sage chopped
- 2 tsp rosemary
- ⅔ cup long grain white rice
- ¼ cup sherry or dry white wine
- 1¼ cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 450°.
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and place on a large cutting board. Remove anything from the inner cavity, if needed. Place chicken breast side-down and use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the back bone to remove it. Flip the chicken over and press down firmly in the center of the breasts to flatten the bird. Cut off wing tips.
- Place chicken breast side-up on a large rimmed sheet pan. Rub chicken all over with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, begin the preparing the rice: In a 12-inch cast iron skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant and starting to soften.
- Add carrots, beets, parsnip, sage, rosemary, rice, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in sherry or white wine and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and adjust heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Remove chicken from oven and carefully transfer with a large, sturdy spatula to the skillet, on top of rice. Pour drippings from the sheet pan over chicken. Place lemon wedges around the chicken.
- Place skillet in the oven. Reduce heat to 375°. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until liquid has mostly absorbed, rice is tender, and chicken is 160-165° in the thickest part of the breast and thigh.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Mix Parmesan cheese into rice pilaf.
- With a chef’s knife cut chicken in half between the breasts. Cut between breasts and thighs to remove the legs. Serve chicken with rice pilaf.