If you want to put a juicy, crisp-skinned roast chicken on your dinner table quickly, you might want to do it the American Way! The secret to getting a whole chicken roasted in just an hour is to butterfly the bird, start roasting it in a cold oven and then crank up the broiler.
One – Hour Broiled Chicken and Pan Sauce
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: SimpleServings
4
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
1
hourIf you want to put a juicy, crisp-skinned roast chicken on your dinner table quickly, you might want to do it the American Way!
Ingredients
1 (4 -pound / 1.8 kg) chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
lemon wedges
salt
pepper
Method
- Adjust the oven rack on the lowest rail (do not preheat the oven). Place chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using poultry or kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of the backbone. Trim off any excess fat and skin. Flip chicken and press on breastbone to flatten. using the tip of a paring knife, poke holes through the skin over the entire surface of the chicken. This will provide enough “vents” for the steam to escape and prevent the skin from developing blisters and burn.
- Flip chicken, bone side up, and season with salt and pepper. Now flip it breast side up again, rub the skin with a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wings under breasts.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a broiler-safe 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over high heat until just smoking. Place chicken in skillet, skin side up, and transfer to the oven. Turn on the broiler. If your broiler has multiple settings, choose the highest one and broil the chicken for 1 hour, until the skin is dark golden brown. If the skin starts getting too dark or develops burns, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes. While chicken rests, stir thyme sprigs and garlic into the juices in the skillet and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Carve chicken and transfer any accumulated juices to the skillet. Strain sauce through fine-mesh strainer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chicken, passing sauce and lemon wedges separately.
Notes
- Don’t discard the backbone. Together with the giblets, you can use it to prepare a chicken broth.
