Parmesan Roast Chicken

Parmesan Roast Chicken recipe

A Sunday roast chicken gets a very tepid reception from my family. Ungrateful bastards. So I strive to find interesting new ways to tart up an old bird *me on a Saturday night*. When I saw someone on Instagram spatchcocking and covering their Thanksgiving turkey in parmesan, I knew this was one way to get my family to fall in love with roast chicken all over again.

My Parmesan Roast Chicken couldn’t be simpler. Even if you’ve never spatchcocked a chicken before, do not be intimidated; all you really need is a bloody sharp pair of kitchen scissors and 5 minutes to spare. Your lovely flattened bird then has a parmesan, herb and lemon butter tucked under its skin and a ton of parmesan pressed into the top. The resulting roast is anything but dull. The skin is golden and total cheese heaven. The chicken is so *eek* moist, it received the award for best roast chicken ever from the aforementioned ungrateful bastards.

A Parmesan Roast Chicken is now the way forward for me on a Sunday. No more moans of ingratitude when I whip out the usual dull bird.

Here’s my lovely big bird, and don’t panic, you won’t need all that parmesan, I just had the food processor out to grate it, so did a lot for future use. I went with rosemary for my chosen herb, but forage for something woody at the bottom of your fridge.

Make a start by lining a large roasting tin with foil, to assist with washing up later, and then pop a small rack on top. Pre heat the oven to 170℃. Now for the spatchcocking. Turn the chicken upside down, and using sharp kitchen scissors, cut along each side of the back bone, to remove it.

Trim off any excess skin, then turn the chicken over. Press down with the palm of your hand on the breast bone, and flatten.

For the herb butter, mash together the soft butter, lemon zest, chopped rosemary, 50g of parmesan and a little black pepper until well combined.

Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper, then loosen the skin on the chicken breast using your fingers or a tablespoon. Push half the butter under the skin of one breast, then repeat with the other. Smooth it down to the end of the chicken so you have an even-ish layer. Be careful not to tear the skin during the stuffing stage, but it’s not the end of the world if you do.

Now drizzle the whole chicken with a little olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Take the final 75g of grated parmesan and press it into the chicken, getting as much to stick to the skin as you humanely possible.

Put your parmesan-tastic chicken into the oven for around 1 hour to around an hour and 20 minutes. This will depend on the size of your bird but the spatchcocking reduces the cooking time slightly from your usual chicken. It’s cooked when the skin is crisp, cheesy, golden and the juices run clear when you poke a skewer in the thickest part. Oh, and it will smell absolutely amazing.

Leave the chicken to rest for around 10 minutes before completely butchering it like me, or carving it into elegant slices like other people. Serve with all the trimmings, I am particularly obsessed with this creamed spinach recipe at the moment.

This recipe is worth making for the skin alone; the wonderfully, and apologies for the second use of the word, moist, meat is just a win bonus.

Lucy x

Parmesan Roast Chicken recipe

Serves 4 to 6, but nearer 2 in our house with my appalling carving

You will just need bowls and a roasting tin with a rack for this

1 large roast chicken, mine was a whopper at around 1.8kg

Herb Butter

75g softened butter

50g grated parmesan

Zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons fresh herbs, I used rosemary, but thyme or parsley would be lovely

Black pepper to season

Parmesan Crust

A good drizzle olive oil

Salt and pepper

75g grated parmesan

All the usual roast accompaniments, I’m loving a bit of creamed spinach at the moment

Pre heat your oven to 170℃ fan assisted and line a baking tray with foil (to assist with washing up) and put a small rack on top.

In a small bowl mix the soft butter with the parmesan, herbs, lemon zest and black pepper.

Spatchcock your chicken, which sounds complicated, but it isn’t. Turn the bird over and, with sharp kitchen scissors, cut down either side of the back bone to remove it. Trim off any excess skin. Turn the chicken back over and press down on the breast bone to flatten it. Place on the rack in the tray.

Loosen the skin on the chicken breast using your fingers or a tablespoon, taking care not to tear it. Push half the seasoned butter under the skin on one side of the chicken breast, then repeat with the other half. Smooth it down, to push the butter all the way down to the end.

Pat the chicken all over to dry. Drizzle with olive oil and season all over with salt and pepper. Press the final 75g of the grated parmesan all over the rest of the chicken, including the legs, to form a sort of crust.

Place into your pre heated oven and cook for around 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you stick a skewer into the thickest part. If you’re using a thermometer, the reading should be 75℃. The skin will be crisp, golden and super cheesy.

Leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving into elegant slices and serving with your favourite trimmings. Don’t fight over the skin, it’s the best bit.