Orange & herb butter spatchcock chicken, with cheat's sriracha aïoli

Name: Orange & herb butter spatchcock chicken, with cheat's sriracha aïoli
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 25 g pack flat leaf parsley, leaves only; 8 sprig/s thyme, leaves only; 1 small orange, scrubbed, zest, juice of 1/2; 2 clove/s garlic, roughly chopped; 75 g salted butter, at room temperature

Ed Smith's Father's Day recipe is speedy, foolproof and you end with succulent, evenly cooked meat and crisp, finger-licking skin. The flavoured butter makes it special.

4 out of 5 stars(2) Rate this recipe

Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare20 mins
Cook50 mins
Total time1 hr 10 mins

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For the flavoured butter

25g pack flat leaf parsley, leaves only
8 sprig/s thyme, leaves only
1 small orange, scrubbed, zest, juice of 1/2
2 clove/s garlic, roughly chopped
75g salted butter, at room temperature

For the chicken

1 medium chicken, 1.5-1.7kg
3 pinch sea salt flakes
300g Essential Frozen French Fries

For the sriracha aïoli

6 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp sriracha, to taste
1 clove/s garlic, crushed
1 tbsp fresh orange juice

Put all the flavoured butter ingredients in a food processor and whizz until the herbs and orange zest are finely chopped and distributed. Alternatively, chop the herbs and zest very finely by hand, mince the garlic, and mash all that into the soft butter.
Turn the chicken breast-side down. Spatchcock the chicken by using poultry scissors or strong kitchen scissors to cut either side of the spine. Discard it (or use to make stock for another recipe), then use a sharp knife to remove the wishbone. Place the bird on a chopping board, breast side up, and push firmly down on the middle so that it sits flat.
Place into a low-sided baking tray. Use your forefingers to separate the chicken skin from the flesh, both over the breasts and also the thighs (for the latter, enter via the junction between breast and thigh). Squash all the butter underneath the skin. Pour any orange juice from the butter bowl over the top and sprinkle the chicken generously with salt.
Preheat the oven to 230ºC, gas mark 8. Roast for 45 minutes until cooked through, the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. Cook the fries on the shelf underneath according to pack instructions.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare any sides and make the aïoli by whisking together all of the ingredients.
Remove the chicken and transfer to a large platter to rest for 5-10 minutes. Keep the buttery roasting juices for the salad recipe, if making. Season the fries with salt when ready, then portion the chicken into thigh, drumsticks, and thickly-sliced breast pieces, and let everyone tuck in with the sriracha aïoli.

Cook’s tip

You can make the butter and stuff it under the skin the evening or morning before, meaning there is very little to do around meal time. If your chicken is larger (1.7kg-2kg), then roast for 50 minutes, checking for the same signs of readiness as above.

Add the flavoured butter underneath the skin and on top of it for full crispiness and flavour, then baste a couple of times while cooking.

When preparing this for Chris Evans on episode 12, season 3 of the Dish podcast, Angela Hartnett added the zest and juice of a lime to the sriracha aïoli, rather than an orange. She served it with French fries and salad dressed with garlic, French mustard, olive oil and white wine vinegar.