I'm not sure when the internet fell in love with Ina Garten. From memes to Buzzfeed articles, Ina has become one of the most familiar faces in home cooking.
I've been a fan since I first saw her classic Food Network TV show 10+ years ago. Ina (I like to think she would be okay being on a first name basis) shows us not only how to cook, but how to be a hostess and friend. Every episode leaves me with the distinct feeling that I want to be just like her.
I really like to think that my style of cooking is like Ina's. Classic dishes that are not overly fussy to prepare but deliver big on flavor. Even the way I describe my food mimics her signature catchphrases "I made a chicken pot pie with the volume turned way up" is something I've actually said before. Ina does what so few people do these days: traditional food that is wholesome, simple, delicious and always homemade.
I could wax poetic about Ina Garten for many more paragraphs but instead I'll get around to the food. If you've ever see an episode of Barefoot Contessa, you know that Ina cooks Jeffrey a roast chicken every Friday night. Like Ina, I love a good roast chicken. There is just something special about such a simple food being done really, really well.
Simple Roast Spatchcock Chicken
1 chicken - use the freshest, best quality bird you can find
2-3 Tablespoons butter, room temp
Rosemary*
Garlic*
Salt
Pepper
When you get your chicken home from the store, remove the innards and spatchcock it (see note)
Pat it dry and leave it under a paper towel in the fridge for 24 hours (this will allow the skin to really dry out and it will get nice and crispy in the oven)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Let the chicken come to room temperature
Carefully separate the skin from the breast meat and massage butter in between the skin and the meat
Place several sprigs of rosemary and cloves of garlic (you can leave the skin on) in a baking dish
Lay chicken on top of the aromatics and season aggressively with salt and pepper
Bake at 450 for 50-60 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees
Let rest for 5-10 minutes
Serve with pan juices
A note on spatchcocking a chicken:
Cut out the backbone (can be saved late for stock) and flatten the chicken, breast side up
This allows the chicken to cook faster and I think more evenly
If you've never tried spatchcocking, try it! I think it makes the chicken faster to carve and easier to get all of the meat off of the bird
*a note on aromatics:
Feel free to use different aromatics: lemon, thyme, etc.
Try different combinations to see which one you love the most
If you enjoy roast chicken, try this simple recipe. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you!