How to spatchcock a chicken

Spatchcocking ensures even cooking in a shorter time than cooking a whole bird and is an impressive way of cooking chicken on a barbecue.

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Follow the following simple instructions to spatchcock your chicken.

You will need some good kitchen scissors and a skewer.

With good kitchen scissors, snip off the wing tips and the leg knuckles, cutting at the joints.
Turn the chicken breast-down and, starting at the parson’s nose (the arrowhead-shaped end bit of the tail), cut along the backbone to the neck on one side. Repeat down the other side, then remove the backbone.
Turn the chicken back over and, with the heel of your hand, press down firmly on the centre. You’ll hear the wishbone crack and the chicken will flatten out.
If need be, point the thighs inwards, then season and roast at 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6 (or grill on a barbecue, turning) for about 45 minutes until the juices run clear when you pierce the thick part of the thigh with a skewer.

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