BUTTERFLIED, ROASTED CHICKEN
It appears that each time we come back from vacation, the first thing I make is a roasted, butterflied chicken along with a simple salad. I run into the store, grab a whole chicken and a bag of salad mix, and I'm all set. It's so easy, requires such little thought and effort.
This is a lovely weeknight meal! The chicken is always so juicy and the skin is crispy. Mmmm...mmm..good! I hope you'll try it, cause I know you'll like it.
BUTTERFLIED, ROASTED CHICKEN
Serves 4
Ingredients
Olive oil cooking spray
3 to 4 pound whole chicken, butterflied
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds, crushed
Dashes of house seasoning (1 cup coarse salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, 1/4 cup garlic powder)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
<butterflying a chicken>
Place the chicken, breast side down, tail towards you.
Start cutting at one side of the tail with a pair of kitchen shears, cut all the way through the neck end.
Repeat on the other side of the tail.
Remove the backbone.
Turn the chicken over, lay it out flat.
Press down on the breast with the heel of your hand to flatten it.
Set aside.
<assembling the chicken>
Coat a large baking pan with olive oil cooking spray.
Place the chicken on the baking pan.
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with crushed fennel seeds and house seasoning.
Give it a good rub down.
Leave the chicken breast side up.
<baking the chicken>
Place pan in the middle shelf of the oven.
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven. Let chicken rest for 5 to 8 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Notes
For further instructions on butterflying a chicken, check out my blog post on 'How-To: Butterfly a Chicken.'
Use your hands, get in there, when adding the fennel seeds and house seasoning to the chicken.
