Butterflying a Chicken

[*amy*]

I want to try a recipe from Bon Appetit, grilled citrus chicken under a brick. The chicken needs to be butterflied, and mine is not. lol. Is this difficult to do at home? Will my kitchen shears help? Any tips? TIA guys.

Grilled Citrus Chicken Under a Brick Recipe at Epicurious.com

[Jeekinz]

I cut along either side of the back bone and remove it. Open it up like a book and place skin side up on a cutting board. Push down on the breast to break the breast bone and cartilage. You could take it a step further but turning over and deboning it.

[QSis]

Good photos on the method that Jeekinz described at this link Spatchcock Chicken -- Naked Whiz Ceramic Charcoal Cooking

Kitchen shears are what I use to cut out the backbone, yes.

Lee

[Jeekinz]

BTW, that's the best way to grill a whole bird. When the breast meat is done, I move that part eith over an unlit burner or towards the front of the grill to finish cooking the dark meat without overcooking the white meat. Snip the very ends of the wings off to prevent burning.

[Uncle Bob]

Here is one that I did sometime back Miss Amy....Deliciousoso!!!!!
Easy to do!!

[babetoo]

i am sure your butcher will do it for you. here, at least, they don't charge for it. babe

[*amy*]

Thank you all for the tips & links. Lee, the pics help too. Nice looking bird, Bob. Almost wish I had a duck too. (Duck under a brick? lol) Like the way they put orange slices under the breast & thigh skin. Good idea, babe.

[auntdot]

Amy with a pair of poultry shears you could easily do it the first time in less than five minutes. Can do it with a very sharp knife but, as was shown in the site given by QSis, poultry shears, which I rarely use for anthing else, really help here.

[Loprraine]

I'm with Aunt Dot and the others. Easily done at home, and so good!

[Katie E]

Yep, Amy. Quite easy to do. Just remove the backbone, open and press hard. Great technique for Cornish hens, too.

I keep a couple of bricks, covered in heavy-duty foil, in my pantry for "bricked" foods.