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This flattened cast iron chicken is one of my favorite staples, it can be modified in so many ways with different spices and takes much less time than a traditional roasted chicken.  I’ve had a couple of people as for my method recently so I’m going to do a quick post with instructions and come back later with more pictures.

What you need:

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Sharp pair of scissors (I have a special pair that I try and keep only for butchering)
• Latex gloves (unless you want to touch the raw chicken with your bare hands )
• Two Plates
• Tin foil
• Tongs
• Whole Chicken, preferably organic
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), preferably organic
• Lemon
• Your favorite spices – I like paprika, cumin, garlic, oregano, turmeric, onion & lemon – but plain old salt, pepper & garlic are just as good
• If available, fresh herbs

Cooking Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven (or grill) to 400°
2. Prep your chicken (I wear latex gloves for this part)
   • Discard the giblets, rinse & dry if necessary
   • Cut out the backbone using sharp scissors (you could use a knife but it would be a bit trickier).  Note: the backbone is on the opposite side of the chicken’s breasts (silly yes, but I needed to double-check that the first time I did it :S)
   • Snip a small section (~1/8″) between the breasts
   • With the breasts up push the chicken down flat
   • Optional: To make it healthier you can remove the skin
3. Season the chicken with EVOO, your spices and salt & pepper.  If you left the skin on rub the seasoning & EVOO between the skin and meat as well as the outside
4. Heat your cast iron skillet on medium high heat until it is very warm (I test by throwing small drops of water on it to see if they ‘jump’)
5. Add a bit of EVOO
6. Lay your chicken in the skillet first with the BREAST SIDE DOWN for 3 – 5 minutes (or until the outside turns a beautiful golden brown)
7. Flip the chicken over and sear again for 3-5 minutes
8. Optional: If you have fresh herbs lift the chicken up and put them under it now
9. Put it in the 400° oven for ~40 minutes  (Note: you could also do this in a BBQ at 400°)
10. I always test to make sure I get a temperature reading of 165° before removing
11. Let the bird rest for ~10 minutes
12. Optional:  While the bird rests you can add lemon juice to the pan for a yummy au jus
13. Carve and enjoy!  You will likely not have left overs 🙂

If you try this out I’d love to know how it turned out!!!

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