Roasted Lemon, Herb, & Lavender Spatchcocked Chicken

After a visit to a lavender farm this past weekend, I went quickly down the culinary rabbit hole. I will be sharing a variety of cocktails and sweets, but this is the first savory.

Roasting a chicken is not for the faint of heart. I mean, anyone can stick a whole chicken in the oven and roast it till it's not raw. But, seriously, the number of mediocre roasted chickens I've made is embarrassing. And there is nothing worse than dried out chicken breasts, right?

So, when I read about a technique that splits the chicken and flattens it, I knew I could marinate it easily and roast it to (near) perfection. I've tested it out a few times and it has changed my mind about roasted chicken. And - it's so easy - I will certainly add this to our dinner menu rotation.

Ingredients

• 1 whole 4-pound chicken

• 4 to 5 cloves whole garlic, peeled and minced

• 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen

• 1/2 teaspoon lavender buds + a few lavender sprigs

• olive oil

• juice from 2 organic lemons

• lemon slices

• salt and pepper

Procedure

Spatchcock It

Place chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. With a sturdy pair of kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone, starting at thigh end. Turn chicken around and cut along other side. You can discard the backbone or save it for stock. Spread the chicken on a flat surface and press firmly on breastbone to flatten it.

Rub It

Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle it liberally with salt and pepper. Massage the rosemary, garlic, lavender, and fennel pollen into the skin. Pour the juice from 1 lemon over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before roasting.

Roast It

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the spatchcocked chicken flat in a roasting dish. Drizzle with the remaining lemon juice. Roast chicken for 40 minutes. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and return to the oven.

Roast for another 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is browned and crispy.

Stay tuned for some other recipes featuring culinary lavender.