Spatchcocking a chicken is a clever way of infusing your meal with a myriad of flavours while slicing your cooking time in half!
This perfect infusion of zesty lime and spicy chilli is guaranteed to earn you major grilling brownie points with your friends and family.
Serves: four people
Cooking method: indirect
Temp: 180-200°C
Prep time: 2hr 30 (marinading )
Cooking time: 1hr 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Whole free-range chicken
Marinade:
5 tbsp of a good quality sweet chilli sauce
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
3 limes, zest and juice of
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
In the kitchen:
Combine all marinade ingredients together in a bowl.
To prepare the chicken, place on a chopping board, remove the wish bone with a sharp knife and then cut the chicken down the spine. Turn it around on the board so the skin side is facing up. Flatten the chicken out by applying pressure on the breast bone until it snaps and the chicken lies flat and spread out.
Rub the chicken, skin side only in the marinade and allow infusing for two hours. Making incisions with a sharp knife into the flesh can help the marinade penetrate.
At the barbecue:
Roast (indirect method ) the chicken for about one hour. There is no need to turn the chicken as the underside will be protected by all the bones.
Remove the chicken once the core temperature of the thigh and breast meat has reached 75°C, then allow the chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
