Butterflied — The Perfect Way to Roast a Chicken

Butterflying a chicken (also called spatchcock) lays the bird flat for quicker and more even cooking. A butterflied chicken can be cooked at higher temperatures, so you are able to more easily achieve a nice, crispy skin and perfectly cooked meat. A Kalamazoo really shows off its unique convection cooking effect when cooking chicken in this way.

Select a fresh, whole fryer chicken. Rinse it inside and out under cool, running water and dry with paper towels.

With the backbone facing upward, use sharp kitchen shears to cut down each side of the backbone and remove it entirely. Discard the backbone. Insert the shears between the brest meat and the breast bone at the neck cavity and cut through the breast bone at least half way down the length of the chicken so that it is easier to flatten.

Turn the chicken skin-side-up and flatten it. Tuck the wings under and turn the thighs outward. For the simplest preparation, brush the chicken on both sides with olive oil (or garlic-infused olive oil) and sprinkle with salt. For the barbecued chicken recipe above, simply use a blend of brown sugar and Not-So-Basic Barbecue Rub.

Place the chicken, skin-side-up, directly on the grate in the indirect cooking zone of a grill preheated to 500°F. For best flavor, use smoke from your favorite grilling wood chips. Cook for 35 minutes at 500°F with the hood closed without turning the chicken. The internal temperature measured in the thigh should be 165° to 175°F.

Remove the chicken from the grill and rest for a couple of minutes, then quarter and serve.