Broiled Butterflied Chicken

This recipe is adapted from Alton Brown's broiled, butterflied chicken. Love this technique as not only does this accelerate the chicken cooking process but also adds a lot of flavour to the chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg Whole Chicken

Vegetable Bed: sliced (can use any leftover vegetables in the fridge)

• 1 Sweet Potato
• 1 Onion
• 1 Carrot
• 2 Stalks Celery
• 1 Courgette
• 2 Tomatoes - quartered

Herb Mixture: mix all together

• 15g Thyme - remove leaves from stem, use the leaves only
• 25g Parsley - finely chopped
• 1 tbs Minced Garlic
• 3 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
  

Directions:

• Set oven to grill and turn to the highest temperature.
• Place all vegetables into a roasting pan.
• Drizzle olive oil on vegetables and place under the grill for 15 mins.
• Butterfly the whole chicken (see 'Comments' section).
• Evenly distribute the herb mixture under skin.
• Rub olive oil on both sides of the chicken.
• Place chicken skin-side up on top of grilled vegetables.
• Sprinkle a bit of salt and black pepper on chicken.
  
• Grill in oven (leave oven door slightly ajar to let the steam escape) until the skin is dark mahogany in colour (about 25 mins).
• Flip the chicken bone-side up by holding the drumstick ends with paper towels.
• Cook for further 15 mins.
• Remove chicken from oven, place chicken in another plate and cover loosely with foil.
• Tilt roasting pan to pool the fats and juices.
• Carefully siphon the fats off.
• Serve chicken with remaining juice in pan.

Comments:
To 'Butterfly' A Chicken:
1. Place chicken on a chopping board breast-side down.
2. Remove backbone with scissors
.
3. Open up chicken and lay it flat on the board.
4. Gently slice through the thin membrane covering the keel bone (bone separating the breast halves).

5. Break open chicken.
6. Place fingers underneath the keel bone to remove bone.
7. Remove the cartilage that was holding the bone.
8. Turn chicken breast-side up. Loosen skin by running a finger underneath the skin.
9. Loosen skin at the thighs as well.
10. Evenly distribute the herb mixture under the skin.