Spatchcocked Chicken and Gravy
Spatchcocked chicken and gravy a perfect Sunday supper. The only way I will cook a whole chicken! Amazingly flavorful gravy that finishes the chicken to perfection.
I picked up these kitchen shears at Aldi and made my life so easy cutting the backbone from the chicken.
Save the backbone along with giblets to make the gravy along with the excess skin and fat trimmed from the chicken.
Flip the chicken over and press down to flatten the chicken so it cooks perfectly. Removing the backbone allows the chicken to cook evenly and quickly.
Piercing the skin with a sharp knife allows the fat to render. A simple seasoning of salt and pepper. Preheating the cast iron skillet gives a jump start to cook the leg quarters. The chicken cooks for about 1 hour in the preheated skillet. Rotating the skillet halfway through cooking ensures the chicken cooks evenly and it browns perfectly.
While the chicken is broiling make the gravy. Simmer the scraps with the chicken broth until all the liquid evaporates and the trimmings start to sizzle. This method results in a super savory start to your gravy. Add the aromatics, a little wine and more chicken broth. Reduce the stock by half and strain. Make your thickener with butter and flour, cooking to a beautiful brown color. Whisk in the stock after straining out all the solids. Add your drippings from the chicken after using the gravy separator to drain off the fat.
Finished spatchcocked chicken and gravy and roasted potatoes. Chicken breast with the best gravy ever!
Spatchcocked Chicken and Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 4lb Whole chicken
- 1 1/2 tsp Vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt-divided
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 4 cups Chicken broth-divided
- 1/2 Onion or Leeks-chopped
- 1 Carrot-peeled and chopped
- 1 Celery Rib-chopped
- 4 Sprigs Parsley
- 2 Sprigs Thyme
- 1 clove Garlic-crushed
- 1/4 cup White wine dry-omit if you don't like wine
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 2 1/2 Tbsp All-purpose
Instructions
- Put the oven rack 12" from the broiler element.
- I use rubber gloves when handling raw chicken. On a cutting board place the chicken, breast side down. Using kitchen shears to cut through the bones on both sides of the backbone. Cut the backbone into 3-4 pieces and set aside. Trim excess skin and fat from the chicken and set aside with the backbone.
- Flip the chicken over and use the heal of your hand to press down on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. Use the tip of a sharp knife to poke holes all over the skin of the chicken.
- Rub 1/2 teaspoon of oil over the surface of the chicken. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Flip the chicken over and sprinkle the cavity of the chicken with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Flip the chicken back over so the breast side is up and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings under the breast to keep them from burning. Heat the remaining oil in the 12" oven safe skillet I use a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Place chicken in skillet skin side up and place skillet in oven.
- Position the skillet in the oven towards the middle of the oven and turn the handle so it is facing the corner of the oven. Turn on the broiler function in the oven and broil chicken for 25 minutes. Then rotate the skillet handle to the opposite corner of the oven. Continue to broil until the skin is dark golden brown and the thickest part of the chicken registers 155', about 20-30 minutes longer.
- While chicken is broiling make the gravy. Bring 1 cup of broth and giblets, neck, backbones pieces and trimmings to boil over high heat in a large saucepan, until liquid evaporates, and the trimmings begin to sizzle. Stirring occasionally for about 12 minutes.
- Continue cooking, stirring frequently until dark fond forms on the bottom of the pan, 2 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add onions, carrots, celery, parsley, thyme and garlic to pan. Cook stirring frequently, until onion is translucent about 8 minutes. Stir in wine and bring to a simmer scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining broth and cook over high heat until stock is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
- Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, pressing the solids to extract all the liquids. Melt butter in empty saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until mixture is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in stock. Increase heat to medium high and cook until stock is thickened about 5 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a craving board and let rest for 15 minutes. When chicken is resting remove fat from the drippings then whisk into gravy. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Carve chicken and serve gravy separately.