Spatchcocked Chicken with Mushrooms and Kale

Great thing to do when mushrooms are in season!

 

About a four pound chicken

Couple of lemons, sliced ½-inch thick, reserve the zest from one of them

Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Thyme

Oil

Salt

Truffle oil, if you have it

Cayenne peer

About 3 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cut in half

About 5 cups of assorted wood mushrooms (Royal Trumpet, Maitake, Hedgehog, etc.)

About 4 garlic cloves, diced

1 Fresno chile, seeds removed and thinly sliced into rings

About 2 cups lacinato kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

 

So, here are the ingredients. A Fresno pepper is like a jalapeno, however, it is red and not as hot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the great wood mushrooms that are in season around here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's some of the ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 475 F.

 

Line a baking sheet with foil.

 

Using kitchen shears, cut out the backbone of the chicken. Then, clean it well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the chicken with the backbone removed. That is the backbone laying perpendicular to the rest of the bird at the bottom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place chicken with skin side up on a board. Tuck the wing tips under the wings. Use the palm of your hand, press firmly on the breasts to break the breastbone to flatten the chicken.

 

Here's the shears ready to cut!

 

Here is everything prepped and ready.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place the lemon slices in the center of the foil-lined pan to form a platform for the chicken. (Note – if someone can’t eat fruit, place a small rack there instead and skip the lemons.) Place the fresh herbs on the lemons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place the chicken on top.

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rub the chicken with oil Truffle oil if you have it) and season with salt. Sprinkle with cayenne. Option – sprinkle with porcini mushroom powder, if you can find dried porcini mushrooms. If you do this, use plain oil instead of truffle oil. Rub the oil and seasoning into the skin.

 

 

In a large bowl, mix together all the mushrooms, the lemon zest (skip the zest if someone can’t handle fruit), garlic and Fresno chile. Drizzle some oil on it and sprinkle on some salt and mix well. Spread the mushroom mixture around the chicken. Place in oven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook until chicken is at 175 F, about 35 – 40 minutes. Then, toss the kale with some oil and salt and scatter the kale over the mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take chicken out of oven, place chicken on board, cover with foil and let it rest for five minutes. Then carve and serve.