To spatchcock a chicken

Sounds dirty, doesn't it? Spatchcock. I promise, nothing perverted was going on with my chicken. But I have found a new and improved way to cook a whole chicken. I'll be spatchcocking my chickens from now on.

Spatchcocking involves cutting out the backbone and cracking open the breastbone, so that the whole chicken will splay out flat. Cooked this way, you can roast a whole chicken in 45 minutes, and it comes out much juicier. (You can also grill it, though I chose to roast it in the oven.)

This is where professional-grade heavy-duty kitchen shears come in handy. Make sure the whole chicken is thawed, giblets removed, and breast-side down. Make two cuts, one on each side of the backbone. Remove the backbone, and the wing tips (they'll just burn). Flip the chicken over, lay it out flat, and press on the breastbone to crack it open. Arrange it flat, and you're done.

I basted mine with barbecue sauce, and cooked it breast side up for 45 minutes in a 450-degree oven. No other flipping or basting required. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes once you remove it from the oven, and voila! Perfectly done chicken.