The Aussie Gourmet: Lime and Thyme Spatchcocked Chicken

In The K tchen Lime and Thyme Spatchcocked Chicken

By Naomi Nachman

Growing up, my mum always made a whole chicken for Shabbat dinner. To this day, I can still remember the juices as they ran off the chicken as she carved it. Each week, I looked forward to the aroma of that chicken. Fast forward to my kitchen in my own home � I have learned how to cook a whole chicken, but I prefer to use the spatchcocked method. That means cutting out the backbone of the chicken with cooking shears, knife or scissors, then flattening the chicken, and tucking in the wings. This produces a moist and flavorful chicken.

Yields 4 servings Ingredients

b1 (4-pound) Empire Kosher whole chicken, spatchcocked b¼ cup extra virgin olive oil b6 sprigs thyme b2 limes, sliced b6 cloves garlic bKosher salt bFreshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. Place lime slices, thyme and garlic cloves in a large roasting pan or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 3. Place the chicken, breast side up, on top of limes; generously season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. 4. Bake for about 45-60 minutes, until cooked through. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F 5. To serve, cut up the chicken into quarters or eighths, spoon pan juices over chicken, and garnish with fresh lime and thyme sprigs.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

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