My dad didn’t have much success grilling chicken in our backyard when I was growing up, but going to Egypt made me realize what he was trying to emulate: a bird with a crisp exterior that was thoroughly seasoned throughout.
This dish from my cookbook “My Egypt” gives the answer: submerging the chicken in feta brine overnight, then cooking it with the classic “under a brick” technique, which maximizes the chicken’s contact with the hot surface, all but guaranteeing even cooking and crisp skin.
A smaller bird (3 1/2 to 3 3/4 pounds/ 1.6 to 1.7 kg) is preferable to a larger bird here because it is easier to fit into a skillet. If you have a larger chicken (4 pounds/ 1.8 kg and up), it’s better to cook it skin-side down on a grill over a medium flame. You can put a cast-iron skillet on top to help press the bird down on the grill, ensuring it gets a crispy skin.
Have a pair of poultry shears, a blender or food processor, an instant-read thermometer, and cheesecloth available. Also locate a large (12-inch/ 30.5cm) cast-iron skillet and another heavy, smaller skillet or Dutch oven, or something else heavy and oven-safe that you can put on top of the chicken as it cooks to help it stay flat.
Feta-Brined Spatchcock Chicken with Mint and Green Onions
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
Chicken and Brine:
1 smallish chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds/ 1.6kg)
2 ounces (57g) feta cheese
4 cups (960ml) water
5 sprigs oregano
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 lemon, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
FOR COOKING AND SERVING:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped mint, plus extra mint leaves if desired
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Fresno chile or red jalapeño, thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed if preferred
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
1. Lay the chicken breast-side down. Starting at the neck, use poultry shears to cut along both sides of the spine to remove the backbone. Switch to a knife and cut out the rib cage (you can save the backbone and rib cage for stock). Flip the chicken over so it’s breast-side up and press down on the breastbone to crack it slightly. Next, remove the thighbone on each leg: Cut the ball joints on each end of the bone to pop them out and then cut along both sides of the bone until it is loose enough to remove. (Removing the thigh bones helps the bird lie flatter in the pan when cooking.) If you purchase your chicken from a good butcher, you can ask them to do this prep work for you.
2. In a blender or food processor, blend the feta with 2 cups (480ml) water until well blended, then blend in the remaining 2 cups (480ml) water.
3. Put the chicken skin-side down in a nonreactive 9- by 13-inch (23 by 33cm) baking dish and cover with a layer of cheesecloth. Place the oregano sprigs, garlic, lemon, bay leaf, and peppercorns on top of the cheesecloth, then pour in the feta brine so the chicken is nearly submerged. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
4. Arrange an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and discard the cheesecloth, brine, lemon, peppercorns, and herbs. Put the chicken on a tray and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders and let air-dry breast-side up for 30 to 40 minutes while the oven heats up.
5. Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch (30.5cm) oven-safe skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down, ensuring the skin on the legs is in contact with the pan. Cook until the skin begins to turn golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Put a smaller oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven on top of the chicken to weigh it down. Carefully transfer the pan with the weight on top to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170°F (77°C) and the skin is deep golden brown, about 35 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven, uncover, and gently flip the chicken over to ensure the skin hasn’t stuck to the pan. If it has and begins to tear as you flip it, let it sit, skin-side down, for 1 to 2 minutes more until it releases. Transfer to a cutting board and let it rest skin side up for at least 5 minutes.
7. While the chicken rests, mix together the mint, parsley, chile, green onion, paprika, oregano, and olive oil in a small bowl. Using a rasp grater, zest the lemon directly into the bowl and stir to combine, then cut the lemon into wedges to serve with the chicken.
8. To serve the chicken, cut off the legs, then separate the drumsticks from the thighs. Cut each thigh in half. Cut the breasts off the bone and slice each one into thirds, then cut the wings off. You’ll have 2 drumsticks, 4 thigh pieces, 6 breast pieces, and 2 wings. Spoon the herbs on top (or serve on the side) and scatter the feta and mint leaves around the plate. Serve with the lemon wedges.