Quick and easy

“Butterflying a chicken means to remove the backbone of the chicken so that the whole chicken can lay flat on a baking sheet or rack while it roasts. The culinary theory behind butterflying is very simple: it allows the breasts and the legs to cook more evenly. With all the parts of the chicken at the same height, the heat in the oven will reach them more evenly. This way, you don’t get dried-out breasts or undercooked thighs; all the parts of the bird are done at the same time, and all the meat is juicy and delicious.”

One great thing about such guaranteed-delicious meat is that you don’t need to spend a lot of time fussing with the seasonings. All you need is a little rosemary/thyme, salt, and pepper, with some olive oil and butter to crisp the skin. For extra convenience, this recipe includes directions for roasting some vegetables, making an entire family dinner ready to go with very minimal work. You can add sweet potatoes or whatever else you like to the vegetables, or adjust the amounts to fit however many people you need to serve.

You will need:

1 whole chicken
1/2 pumpkin
1 red pepper
1 courgette
1 sweet potato
1 beetroot
6 cloves of garlic
A handful of sprig thyme or rosemary
Handful of pumpkin seeds

Seasoning:
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Unsalted butter – for chicken

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Slice the vegetables and scatter the vegetables onto a baking tray seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle a bit of pumpkin seeds on the sliced pumpkin. Roast in oven, turning once, start checking after about 15 minutes, and keep roasting until you see charred bits.

Place the chicken, breast-side down, on a board so the back is facing up and the drumsticks are pointing towards you. Using sharp kitchen scissors or chicken shears, cut closely along each side of the backbone. Remove and discard the backbone. Turn the chicken, breast-side up, and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. Place the sprig thyme/rosemary in the chicken’s cavity with cloves of garlic. Brush the chicken with olive oil and butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35–40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.