Spatchcock Za’atar Chicken with Blistered Carrots and Potatoes

Spatchcock chicken is the whole roasted chicken’s ride or dies BFF! Spatchcock is such a funny word…my boy’s reaction, “What did you call me?” Dictionary.com defines it as “a dressed fowl that has had its backbone removed and has been split open and flattened so that it cooks more evenly when grilled…” Also called butterflying, it is the metamorphosis of the whole chicken to one ready for the grill. Not only does the bird cook faster, it still retains all the benefits of cooking a whole chicken, even cooking, retaining moisture, and all the cuts!

First off let’s decide what tool to use for the job. There is no one set in stone option, pick the one you have on hand, you are comfortable using, and works best for you. Here are three common tools most people have in their kitchens, from left to right, chef knife, boning knife, or poultry/kitchen shears. Whichever you choose make sure your blades are sharp, you do have to cut through some smaller bones, so don’t use a knife with a delicate edge that might chip easily. If you are choosing kitchen shears I highly recommend using ones that come apart for a thorough cleaning, and while some people choose regular scissors to use for kitchen tasks they may not be quite sturdy enough to make clean cuts. I like a boning knife because the blade is flexible and makes navigating around bigger bones easier. Find what works best for you and the more you do it the more comfortable you will get.

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There is nothing really complicated about spatchcocking a chicken, it simply starts with cutting down on either side of the chicken’s backbone, (save this for chicken stock).

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After removing the backbone put the bird breast side down and gently open the back at the opening you just created. Running down the middle is the breast bone and cartilage, some people remove this entirely, however, I prefer to leave it in. The bone will protect the breast meat from drying out and help to keep the whole bird cooking evenly. I do like to make a small cut at the top of the breast bone, where there is a dark round knob. Make a small incision about a 1/4 inch deep to gently break open the membrane holding it all together. With your handles, gently press down on either side of the bird to flatten, where you made the incision will gently give way and allow you to flatten easily. Be gentle, we aren’t trying to tear and damage the meat here just encouraging the bird to lay flat. Season the bird liberally with salt and pepper and set aside skin side up while you get the rest of the ingredients ready, or refrigerate overnight bringing to room temperature before proceeding.

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Za’atar is an earthy and tart spice mix originally from the Middle East to the Nile Valley in North Africa usually found on the table as a condiment, sprinkled on hummus, labneh, and flatbreads, but also delicious as a rub for chicken, lamb, or beef. Depending on where you are looking you will find a variety of different combinations, but typically it’s made up of herbaceous oregano or thyme, addictively tart and tangy sumac, and nutty white sesame seeds. In some regions, you will also find wild hyssop in the mix. Za’atar has become easy to find premixed in grocery stores, but I find that the spice mixes seem almost stale or rancid, and I typically keep these spices in my spice drawer, so it’s easy to mix up small amounts as I need it, then I know how old my spices are!

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There is nothing better than the nuttiness of tahini and instead of using it to make hummus, I added to some tangy yogurt, lots and lots of parsley and tart sorrel, a squeeze of lemon, and just a hint of honey for sweetness. This whips up to a mean green delicious sauce that goes perfectly with the Za’atar grilled chicken. The consistency is hummus-like, but as this sits it tends to firm. If you want a saucier texture add some water or more lemon juice.

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Time to get grilling — The most important step to create even cooking and prevent sticking is to make sure you prep your grill properly!

Step 1 – make sure you preheat your grill fully. If you are using gas, turn all burners on high for at least 15 minutes, your temperature gauge should read at least 500 degrees. This will also burn off any residue that remains on the grates. If you are using a charcoal grill you will need to give the charcoal at least 40-45 minutes, they should be completely gray. Scrape the grates with a grill cleaner.

Step 2 – create an indirect heat zone. For my gas Weber, that means turning my burners to medium for the front, off for the middle, and medium for the back or M.O.M.

Step 3 – oil a lint-free towel, I like to use reusable bamboo “paper” towels for this job that I can use a few times and then discard. Stear away from paper towels, they are will easily catch fire and leave paper residue on your grates. Using a long pair of tongs, roll up the oiled towel and grasp with the tongs, rub over the grates to finish cleaning any residue away, and this also seasons the grates and protects them from sticking.

Step 4 – place the chicken skin side down over the indirect heat section of your grill. Close the lid and keep an eye out for flare-ups. Cook for 20-25 minutes, I like to check after 5-10 minutes to make sure the grill isn’t cooking too hot. You do not want the skin to burn or get smoke marks, should just be evenly browned all over. You know the chicken is ready to flip when it easily releases from the grates itself, you should not have to force it. However, if you did not start with a well cleaned and seasoned grill grates you may end up with sticking skin. Grates that have burned on bits or residue are like glue and anything that touches it will adhere and not release. See step 1 so you don’t have this problem! Cook on the second side for another 20-25 minutes until the thigh reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Step 5 – rest that bird. Just as important as seasoning your bird ahead of time is letting it rest after cooking. I rest all meat on a sheet pan lined with a cooling rack. During the rest time, the juices will redistribute throughout the meat and the internal temperature will continue to rise to reach that safe 165 degrees we’ve had imprinted in our brains! I would let the bird rest for 15-20 minutes at a minimum and up to 30. This gives you time to pull the rest of the meal together.

Step 6 – when you flip the bird over is the perfect time to put the potatoes on the grill, here I’ve halved them to get caramelized char marks — you could leave them whole. After you remove the bird from the grill you should add the rest of your vegetables to the grill to develop a nice char. I also turn the middle burner back on to medium. If you are using charcoal you may want to spread out your coals or simply place all the veg over the hot spot on the grill.

Step 7 – Put it all together and enjoy!