Chicken in the Oven

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To prepare the chicken: Flip chicken back side up on the cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut along the backbone on both sides and remove it. You can also remove any extra fat or skin that seems excessive. Flip the chicken over, now breast side up. try to flatten the chicken out, essentially butterflying it. You will note that you will need to push down hard with the flat palm of your hand in order to crack the breastbone in order to get it really flat. Season with salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken and set it aside.

Using a double thick sheet of aluminum foil, create an oval shaped “bowl” by crimping and pinching the sides of the foil up about 1 inch. Place the foil bowl in the bottom of a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray or very lightly oiled with olive oil. Fill the foil bowl with the washed and cut red potatoes. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper to taste.

Now, place the flattened chicken on top of the potatoes in the foil bowl, making sure all the potatoes are completely covered. Dot the chicken with the 1 tbsp. of butter, and place in the oven. Allow chicken to roast for 1 hour- 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on size. You can also make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees in the thigh area. Make sure to let the chicken rest for 15 minutes after removing it from the oven to allow the natural juices to redistribute. Serve with a salad.