Although the lacquered appearance of glazed chicken can be appealing, it can be difficult to achieve. Glazes add deep sweet-savory flavors to the chicken and intensify browning. This is unless the glaze drips from the football-shaped bird as many do. It will leave a sticky, scorched mess in your pan.
The solution was found in spatchcocking or butterflying, a tried and true method of evenly roasting chickens. This involves removing the backbone from a bird so that it can be flattened and spread open. This helps the chicken brown evenly and allows it to be spread with a glaze so it stays in the oven.
This recipe is from "COOKish", which restricts recipes to six ingredients. However, it does not sacrifice flavor. We make a simple glaze using a fruity, tangy sweet chutney and butter. The turmeric adds savoriness and richness. To serve the chicken carved with the glaze, we add some citrus juice to a small portion of the glaze.
A perfect companion is a pilaf of herbed grains.
CHUTNEY GLAZED SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN
Start to finish: 1h 20 minutes (20 minutes active).
Servings: 4-6
1/2 cup mango chutney or tamarind chutney
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground ginger OR ground turmeric
One lemon or one lime can be juicing
Whole chicken weighing 4 lbs
Ground black pepper and kosher salt
The oven should be heated to 425°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Mix the butter, chutney and turmeric together in a bowl. Add 1/3 cup to a small bowl. Stir the juice into the bowl. Set aside for serving. Use kitchen shears to cut each chicken's backbone. Place the skin-side down on the rack. Salt and pepper to season. Then brush half of the chutney mixture on top. Bake for 40 minutes. Then brush the chutney mixture with remaining oil and continue roasting until the thighs reach 175°F. This will take another 10 to 15 min. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve the sauce with the meat.
