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4.67 from 9 votes

Dry Brined Spatchcock Chicken Au Jus

Dry Brined Spatchcock Chicken Au Jus is possibly the best roast chicken that you will ever eat! It’s tender, moist and incredibly flavorful. What’s even better is that it only takes 45 minutes to cook.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 137kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 pound whole chicken
  • 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium onion chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium carrot peeled and chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 1 stalk of celery chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 1 cup (8-ounces) dry vermouth
  • 1 cup (8-ounces) water
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preparing the Chicken

  • Using sharp kitchen shears, remove the backbone from the chicken. Cut backbone into several 1-inch pieces and set aside. With a boning knife, remove the breastbone; set aside. Flatten the chicken by placing skin-side up and applying pressure. Transfer skin-side up to a wire rack set in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Tuck the wings. Pat dry with paper towels.

Dry Brine

  • Combine Kosher salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle skin-side of chicken liberally with salt/baking powder. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Cooking the Spatchcock Chicken

  • Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove chicken from refrigerator; do not rinse. Drizzle skin-side of chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Roast chicken until thickest part of breast registers 150°F on an instant-read thermometer and joint between thighs and body registers at least 175°F, about 45 minutes total. Remove from oven; tent with aluminum foil for 15 minutes.

Au Jus

  • While chicken is roasting, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan over high heat until shimmering. Add chicken backbone and breastbone and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Deglaze with vermouth and 1 cup of water, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce heat to maintain simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain out solids and return liquid to pan. Boil over medium-high heat until approximately ⅓ cup remains, about 7 minutes. Whisk in soy sauce, butter, and lemon juice off heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 1235mg | Potassium: 143mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1905IU | Vitamin C: 2.8mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 0.1mg