How to make a butterflied roast chicken

Transform the traditional roast chicken dinner with our herbed butterflied twist (RECIPE BELOW). Best of all, a butterflied chook doesn’t need as long to cook as a whole chicken.
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Butterflied roast chicken
Serves 6 Prep 20 mins (+ 10 mins resting time) Cooking 1 hour 20 mins
1.8kg Coles RSPCA Approved Australian Whole Medium Chicken
1 tbs olive oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 whole garlic bulbs, halved crossways
1 brown onion, cut into wedges
1 fennel, cut into wedges
½ bunch oregano
½ bunch sage
4 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
60g butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g brussels sprouts
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place chicken, breast-side down, on a clean work surface. Use kitchen scissors to cut along each side of the backbone to remove. Turn chicken breast-side up. Use the heel of your hand to press down on the breastbone to flatten. Season.
2. Heat half the oil in a large flameproof roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, breast-side down. Cook for 5 mins or until golden. Turn and cook for a further 5 mins. Transfer to a plate.
3. Heat remaining oil in the pan. Add lemon and halved garlic and cook for 1-2 mins or until light golden. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion and fennel and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 mins or until golden. Remove from heat.
4. Return the lemon, halved garlic and chicken, breast-side up, to the pan with the onion and fennel. Finely chop half the oregano, sage and rosemary. Place in a bowl with the butter and crushed garlic and stir to combine. Brush evenly over the chicken. Arrange the brussels sprouts around the chicken in the pan. Pour the stock around the chicken. Sprinkle with remaining oregano, sage and rosemary leaves. Roast for 1 hour or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Set aside for 10 mins to rest.
5. Serve with brussels sprout mixture.
How to butterfly a chicken
A butterflied chicken cooks more quickly than a whole one. Here’s how to prepare the chicken.
Start with your scissors
Before you can open up the chicken, you need to remove the backbone. With the legs facing you, use sharp kitchen scissors to cut along either side of the backbone to remove.
Now use your hands
To flatten the chicken, turn it over on the board so the breast faces up. Press down on the breast with the heel of your hand – you should hear a crack as the breastbone breaks.
Season well & brown it up
To crisp the skin, season the chicken well and cook, breast-side down, in the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat before transferring to the oven.
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