Our motto: waste not, want not. That’s the idea behind this chicken two ways concept. Try repurposing any chicken leftover from our Harissa and Lemon-Butter Spatchcock Chicken (or store-bought rotisserie chicken) for quick and easy weekday lunches. We suggest our Chicken Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette recipe for an upgrade to your “sad desk salad.” Get both recipes below!
If you haven’t yet gotten on board with the whole spatchcock thing, this recipe is the perfect excuse to try it.
The name simply means to butterfly the whole chicken, which helps with even cooking, crispier skin and (most importantly) a much faster cook time. We recommend asking your local butcher to take care of the prep, but it’s also something you can do at home with some handy kitchen shears. Once you’ve got your chicken ready, next comes the fun part. The marinade for this recipe combines harissa paste and lemon. Harissa is a flavorful blend of chiles, oil and spices, and usually comes in a variety of heat levels. You can, as they say, “pick your poison” depending on your spice tolerance. No matter which way you go, you’re left with an incredibly juicy, flavor-packed chicken that will be the star of your dinner table. We love a good cast iron skillet for roasting chicken, but a simple baking sheet or roasting pan will do the trick. Just be sure to load up on aromatics under the chicken, which adds a ton of flavor. Feed the whole crew or roast off the chicken early in the week and have it ready for sandwiches and salads, like our Chicken Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette.
RECIPE:
Harissa Lemon-Butter Spatchcock Chicken
INGREDIENTS
4-5 lbs whole chicken, backbone removed
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 head of garlic, cut in half
1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 lemon, cut into thick slices
Salt and pepper, to taste
Harissa Lemon-Butter (recipe below)
Chopped parsley, garnish
HARISSA LEMON BUTTER
2 tbsp harissa paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Spatchcock is a technique that removes the backbone so that the chicken can lay flat, essentially butterflying. It helps to achieve a more even cook, crispier skin, and also cuts the cooking time down significantly. The easiest way, and the way we’d recommend you prep your chicken, is to simply ask your butcher to handle it. If you are planning to prep your chicken at home, you’ll need a good pair of kitchen shears. Orient the chicken so that the legs and back bone are facing you. Using your kitchen shears, carefully cut along each side from tail to neck. Once the backbone is removed, place your hands on each of the wings to press down until it flattens out.
Make the Harissa Lemon Butter by combining all ingredients in a food processor or mashing with a fork.
Pat the chicken dry and generously season with salt and pepper. Using your hands or a rubber spatula, massage the Harissa Lemon Butter all over the chicken, including under the skin. Allow the chicken to sit in the marinade and come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 425.
In a cast iron skillet, create a layer of lemon slices, red onion wedges and garlic halves. Arrange the rosemary and thyme near the center. Transfer the chicken to the cast iron skillet on top of the aromatics, breast side up. Be sure to lay the chicken out as flat as possible.
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, then increase the heat to broil and cook for another 5 minutes to crisp up the skin. Remove the chicken from the oven and check that the internal temperature of the meat is 165 and the juices run clear. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Salad does not have to be boring. We repeat: salads can be beautiful and satisfying.
Case in point: our Easy Chicken Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette. This has tons of colors and textures by way of crisp veggies, creamy goat cheese and fried wonton strips because we all need to live a little. Our grapefruit vinaigrette is a bright burst of citrus, balanced with all-natural sweetness from the raw honey. It’s a salad you’ll want to make (and eat) over and over. We recommend using up any leftovers from our Harissa and Lemon Butter Spatchcock Chicken, but a store-bought rotisserie chicken also does the trick.
RECIPE:
Chicken Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN SALAD
1 cup cooked roast chicken, shredded
Two heads of romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
One red bell pepper, cored and julienned
One grapefruit, peeled and segmented
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Chopped herbs, for topping (we like cilantro, chives and dill)
Crispy wonton strips, for topping
Grapefruit Vinaigrette, recipe below
GRAPEFRUIT VINAIGRETTE
Juice of one grapefruit
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp honey
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Chicken Salad
- In a large serving bowl, add the chopped romaine lettuce. Layer each of the ingredients on top. Serve with vinaigrette.
For the Grapefruit Vinaigrette
- Add all ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste in a lidded jar. Shake well until combined.
