Method

Remove the backbone and split the chicken.  Heat the oven to 450°F.  Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and rub this all over the chicken.  Tuck some of it under the skin as well.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.  Press the rosemary sprigs, if you're using them, into the skin of the chicken.  Put the remaining olive oil in the pan and wait a minute for it to heat up.  Put the chicken in the pan, skin side down, along with any pieces of rosemary and garlic.  Weight the chicken with another skillet or a flat pot cover and a couple of bricks or rocks.  The basic idea is to flatten the chicken by applying a fair amount of weight evenly over its surface.

Cook over medium-high to high heat for 10 minutes; transfer, still weighted, to the oven.  Roast for 15 minutes more.  Take the chicken from the oven and remove the weight; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast for 10 minutes more.  To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; it should read 155-165°F.  Cut into pieces and serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

Serves: 4

Reprinted with permission from ©Doubleday B. Publishing, Completely Revised Tenth Anniversary Edition - How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman, published by John Wiley & Sons   click for book review

more poultry recipes        more chef and cookbook recipes