Spatchcocked Grilled Chicken with Herbs
(serves four easily with leftovers for lunch)
1 large organic chicken
2 tbsps olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
handful chives, chopped
handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 large stem rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaf discarded, the stalk minced
sprinkle hot chilliflakes
To spatchcock the chicken, lay it on a cutting board breast down and feel in the center for the backbone. Cut front to back along the backbone on each side of the bone, and remove. Turn the chicken over and spread it out, cutting the parson’s nose off (the nob of fat where the head was!) and smashing the chicken flat, cutting through any fat you need to, in order to get it completely flat.
Mix all the other ingredients and smear mixture all over the chicken, front and back. Marinate till at room temperature (perhaps an hour).
Heat grill to 400F degrees. Grill chicken back side down for 20 minutes. When you check it at this point, if the back is getting too blackened, turn the grill down and let the heat stabilize before you cook on the breast side. Grill breast side down for a further 20 minutes, or until the dark meat registers 170F with a meat thermometer.
