1 of 1- Goose
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Tuscan Lemon Chicken
This is a recipe from Ina Garten.
Hey, by late August I'm getting really tired of BBQ chicken, so this dish is a wonderful change of pace.
Chicken is a little bland. I guess that is why it fits into so many recipes and cooking styles. I season this bird rather heavily with garlic, rosemary, and lemon.
Tuscan Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken
Kosher salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
First, flatten the chicken. It's really rather easy to do. Either with a heavy chef's knife, or poultry shears remove the backbone. Simply cut down one side of the back, and then the other. The link has a video to show how. It really only takes a minute or two.
Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating.
When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on 1 side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread 1/4 of the coals across the other side of the grill. Place the chicken on the cooler side, skin side up, and weigh it down. The reason to do this is to make the chicken a nearly uniform thickness so that it cooks evenly. They sell presses or weights for this. You can also take a brick and wrap it in foil or even use an old iron skillet.
Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.
Read more at: 
How to spatchcock a chicken
Last edited by Goose (8/21/2016 9:45 am)
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