The Four
Roast Spatchcocked Chicken with Rosemary, Thyme, and Lemon, Yon-Ka Elixir Vital, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, French Breakfast Radishes
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to The Four and midweek. I’m glad you’re here.
It’s been a beautiful week so far in southern California. I hope you are experiencing some warmth wherever you are, or at least signs of spring. Today you’ve got two recipes to try, one for roast chicken, ready in record time due to spatchcocking, and a delicious carrot cake that I finally got around to making.
At #2 this week, there’s only one skin care item (so far) that I buy on repeat and I’m sharing (not a paid endorsement). Finally, a product alert as I was surprised to see my favorite radishes at Trader Joe’s. Read on, friends!
1. Roasted Spatchcocked Chicken with Rosemary, Thyme, and Lemon
I love rosemary with chicken. Yes, you can buy this at Trader Joe’s, but it’s cheaper and very easy to make yourself at home. I never roast a whole chicken without spatchcocking because it cuts the cooking time in half, and the white meat doesn’t get overcooked waiting for the thighs to catch up. You do have to get your hands dirty here, but just wash them afterwards. But, please do not wash your chicken! This is completely unnecessary and will spread micro-droplets of bacteria all over your workspace. Just carefully remove the chicken from packaging and place it on a sheet pan or large plate. Pat dry with a paper towel. Spatchcocking instructions are below in the recipe.
If you wish, after zesting the lemon, halve or slice the lemon (or two) and place on the sheet pan or under the bird for a little added flavor. I cut mine in half and roasted the lemon with the potatoes, then squeezed the juice on top of the bird prior to serving. The broccoli is optional; I didn't have any so omitted it, but go for it if you have some on hand. Just don’t cut the florets into tiny pieces; leave them large so they don’t overcook, or add them to the pan later in the cook time.
I hope you love this as much as we do!
Equipment Needed:
Recipe:
1 whole roasting chicken, patted dry
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t kosher salt
½ t ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3 sprigs rosemary, minced
2 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
Zest from one lemon
1 lb small roasting potatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 head of broccoli, stems peeled and chunked, florets cut into large pieces (optional)
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, use a convection setting if you have it.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Spatchcock the chicken: place chicken on a work surface with the backbone up. Using a knife or kitchen shears, cut along either side of the backbone. Remove it; save for making chicken stock or discard. Turn chicken so that the skin side is up. Open up the chicken like a book and flatten by pressing down hard. Place chicken flat on a sheet pan, breast side up. Rub the oil/herb mixture all over the chicken. Add potatoes to the pan and broccoli, if using. Drizzle vegetables with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
Transfer pan to the oven and roast chicken, uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature at the thigh registers 160. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
Cut chicken into 8 pieces, sprinkle with chopped parsley. I like to remove the two breast lobes from the bone and slice into manageable pieces. Garnish with lemon slices, or rosemary and thyme sprigs, and chopped parsley.
I am not prone to fidelity when it comes to beauty products. I will almost always bail for the latest and purported greatest, or at least not re-buy something once I’ve finished the tube. I guess I’m the eternal optimist (or idiot), believing that the next tub of cream will be the one. I mention Yon-Ka Elixir Vital because it is the one skincare item I have repurchased for many years. It’s a serum I usually use before bed (but you can also apply it in the morning) sometimes over a retinol cream, sometimes by itself. I’m always amazed at how refreshed and smooth my skin looks after application, and the smell is heavenly, an herbal fragrance of rosemary and geranium leaf. I actually probably buy it for the aromatherapy benefit. It has to be shaken to blend the hydric and lipidic phases of the product, then one or two squirts is all you need. It is pricey, but a bottle lasts me about 7 months.