Spatchcock Chicken with North African Spices, Sweet Potato Hash, and Broccolini

Spatchcock chicken—also known as butterflied chicken—is the easiest way to roast a whole bird, full stop. Removing the backbone and flatteningout the bird allows the breast meat and leg meat to reach their target temperatures—around 150°F for the breast and 165°F for the legs—at the same time, which is a challenge whenever roasting a whole chicken (unless you truss it, which is another lesson for another cookbook). Another trick for roast chicken excellence is rubbing the meat with an intensely flavored spice paste, and the North Afri- can-inspired one I use in this recipe is a delicious blend that will give the chicken’s skin a beautiful brown hue, and works equally well on pork, fish, and slow-roasted meats.

If you like hash browns but want something healthier, the sweet potato hash that follows is a dish I make a lot for my sons when I want to work some extra nutrients into their supper (which is always).

SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN WITH NORTH AFRICAN SPICES

Makes 4 servings

At Home Gavin Kaysen

• 1 whole chicken (31/2 pounds)

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 2 tablespoons chopped spring onions or ramps

• Fine sea salt

• Sweet Potato Hash (recipe follows)

• Broccolini (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS

1. Use a chef’s knife to remove the wishbone from the chicken. Set the chicken spine-side down with the rear end facing you. Place the blade of your knife angled along the backbone on one side. Cut through the rib bones, the whole length of the backbone. Repeat on the other side of the backbone to remove it completely (save it for making stock).

2. Make a small cut underneath the sternum to help the bird lie flat. Don’t cut through the breast meat.

3. Using both hands with the open cavity facing up, press down on each side firmly opening the cavity up. Turn the bird over. The chicken should lie flat with both breasts facing up and the legs lying flat beside them.

4. Using a mortar and pestle or a blender, grind or pulse together the spices, garlic, ginger, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, spring onions, and salt to taste until a paste-like consistency is achieved. Spread the paste over both sides of the chicken rubbing in to coat both sides, especially the skin side. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack set inside a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 6 hours.

5. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast for 45 minutes, rotating the pan front to back halfway through to ensure even cooking. It’s ready when you cut into the meat and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.

6. To serve, carve the chicken into 8 pieces. Transfer the chicken to a platter along with the broccolini. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the sweet potato hash.

SWEET POTATO HASH

Makes 4 servings

• 1 sweet potato, peeled

• 1 russet potato, peeled

• Fine sea salt

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 small leek, small diced, rinsed, and dried

On the large holes of a box grater, shred the sweet potato and russet potato into a large bowl. Toss the potatoes together, add a couple pinches of salt, and toss again. Set aside.

In a nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium- high heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft- ened and turning translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the leeks into the bowl with the shredded potatoes. Using both hands, mix and combine the leeks and potatoes. Squeeze to wring out as much of the excess liquid as possible.

In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add all of the potato and leek mixture, pressing down to flatten it evenly. Press with your spatula so that the mixture is packed evenly and is clean around the edge of the pan. Cook over medium heat turning the pan a quarter-turn every 2 to 3 minutes, until an even golden brown. Using the spatula, lift the bottom of the hash to see that it is browning nicely.

Flip the hash onto a plate cooked-side up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan and slide the hash browns back into the pan so the raw side is on the bottom. Continue to flip the hash every 3 minutes until golden brown on both sides. (Alterna- tively, you can place the pan in the oven at 425°F to finish cooking, checking every 4 minutes.)

Remove the hash from the pan and set on a rack in a sheet pan to keep warm. Cut into wedges, if desired, transfer to a plate and season with salt before serving.

BROCCOLINI

Makes 4 servings

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 bunches broccolini

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

• 1/2 lemon

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil along with the broccolini. Cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the butter and cook until melted. Remove from the heat and add the garlic, stirring so that it gets golden brown with- out burning.

Remove the broccolini from the pan and squeeze lemon juice over the top.

Excerpted from At Home by Gavin Kaysen and Nick Fauchald. Copyright © 2022. Reprinted by permission of Spoon Thief. All rights reserved.