SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN WITH SPICED RUM GLAZE
Serves 4
To make a simple, succulent grilled chicken with a taste of the tropics any time of the year, all you need is Halfway Tree Spiced Rum Sauce and a good grill pan. Simply baste the chicken three times as it cooks to flavor the bird with island spices like nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. In warm weather you’ll want to try this on the grill, too!
A spatchcocked chicken (a flattened bird with the backbone removed) is easier to cook evenly and serve than a whole roast chicken. It’s a snap to cut out the bone if you have good shears; otherwise, have the butcher do it for you. And if cooking a whole chicken seems daunting, simply swap in your favorite parts and reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.
Ingredients
- One 3¾- to 4-pound chicken, backbone removed
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon Half Way Tree Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup Half Way Tree Spiced Rum Barbecue Sauce, plus more for serving
How to Prepare
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set the chicken breast-side up on a cutting board and press down on the breastbone to flatten it. Combine the thyme, oil, and hot sauce in a bowl and rub the mixture all over the chicken. Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a large cast-iron stovetop grill pan over moderately high heat and rub the ridges with oil. Add the chicken to the pan, skin-side down, and cook until well-browned, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the chicken skin-side up in the grill pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes.
Brush some of the Spiced Rum Barbecue Sauce all over the chicken. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F and roast the chicken for about 30 minutes longer, brushing it with more sauce from time to time, until well-browned all over and an instant read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 165°F.
Let the chicken rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving. Pour the pan drippings into a bowl and serve, passing extra Spiced Rum Barbecue Sauce at the table.
For outdoor grilling
Oil the grates of a gas or charcoal grill and set up for indirect cooking. Grill the chicken skin down over direct heat just until browned, then turn the bird skin up and grill over indirect heat until done, brushing with the BBQ sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
