Donna Hay - Fast, Fresh, Simple
- Carbohydrate 0.671683333158014 g
- Cholesterol 300 mg
- Fat 65.489696668849 g
- Fiber 0.428033349283376 g
- Protein 74.5695799999704 g
- Saturated Fat 17.6396621355754 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (407g)
- Sodium 716.443166666548 mg
- Sugar 0.243649983874638 g
- Trans Fat 5.19601776044296 g
- Calories 909 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 200C/180 fan/gas 6.
- Turn the chicken breast-side down, then using kitchen scissors, cut down either side of the backbone of the chicken, cutting through the ribs. Remove the backbone. Flatten the chicken and place in a baking dish skin-side up.
- Combine the paprika, thyme, salt, pepper and oil. Brush some of the mixture over the chicken. Place the potatoes in a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Toss with the remaining paprika mixture. Bake the potatoes for 10 minutes then add the chicken to the tray and bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the chips are crisp. Serve with the lemon wedges.
Removing the backbone of a 1.6-kilogram bird and flattening the carcass decreases roasting time by nearly half compared to leaving the poultry intact. Thermal transfer improves dramatically when poultry lies flat because the breast meat and leg quarters roast on a single, even plane rather than shielding each other from direct oven heat.
- Spatchcocking requires heavy-duty kitchen shears to cleanly slice through the rib bones without splintering them into the surrounding meat.
- Fresh potatoes demand direct contact with a lined baking tray to develop a golden crust at 200C without requiring excessive amounts of added fat.
- Smoked paprika contains water-soluble volatile compounds that burn quickly above 200C, so blending the spice with vegetable oil shields the powder and diffuses flavor evenly across both skin and starch.
- Leaving the skin intact on large starchy potatoes preserves structural integrity during the initial ten-minute pre-bake before the chicken enters the oven.
Roasting chicken and potatoes together on a single pan is a classic British technique that allows rendered poultry fat to baste the starchy sides naturally. Acid from fresh lemon wedges cuts through the dense lipids of the finished dish, balancing the rich paprika-infused drippings.
