Roasting

How to Prepare Spatchcock Chicken

Urb’n’Spice Tips and Techniques Series

Chicken is one of the most versatile of all meats or poultry. It is prepared in a variety of ways in the Urb’n’Spice kitchen, such as Herb and Butter Sunday Roast Chicken, Pan Roasted Chicken with Creamy Asiago Sauce, or Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Strawberry Salsa. The opportunity to flavour chicken is limitless. In this post, I will teach you How to Prepare a Spatchcock Chicken, and also show you how to make a Quick Poultry Rub that will give any poultry dish a delicious flavour.

A Spatchcock Chicken is essentially a chicken that has had the backbone removed. This allows you to butterfly or flatten the chicken more easily for grilling or roasting. Removing the backbone can be done with a sharp pair of kitchen utility shears or a chef’s (French) knife – not a serrated knife. Alternatively, your butcher can easily remove the backbone for you. Once you have mastered the spatchcock technique, you will be able to create a delicious meal in the oven or on the grill in a much shorter time than roasting a whole chicken.

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Herb and Butter Sunday Roast Chicken

By Denise Pare-Watson

I have some great childhood food memories of Sunday dinners with my family around a large dining room table. The conversation was always lively and animated given our French Canadian heritage. The aromas drifting from the kitchen always made my stomach rumble in anticipation of the wholesome home cooking. Some of my favourite family dinners were Mom’s pot roast, roast leg of lamb or roast chicken, surrounded by potatoes and carrots from the garden which were always cooked in the same pot. All of these meals had one thing in common – they were prepared and placed into the oven with minimal fuss and roasted slowly. Fast-forward to today; a roast dinner is still my favourite meal on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I love planning the entire meal from the main dish to the dessert using the heat of the oven to cook several items at once. Our oven meal is often accompanied by local oven-roasted butternut squash, potatoes or Brussel sprouts. If you are the same as me, the big attraction is always the main course. There is no doubt you will enjoy this recipe for Herb and Butter Sunday Roast Chicken, which has been adapted from a popular recipe.

Plated Roasted Herb and Butter Sunday Chicken

This recipe demands no attention once it is placed in the oven – it is a self-basting roasting technique. The bonus sauce from the pan juices is wonderful. Once you try it, I can guarantee that you will add this recipe to your Sunday Roast dinner repertoire. It is that good!

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Gremolata with Roasted Leg of Lamb

By Denise Pare-Watson

Gremolata is an accompaniment served with savoury dishes. Osso Bucco (cross-cut veal shank) is a Classic Italian dish where Gremolata is used. Gremolata is made from a blend of three very distinct ingredients: fresh garlic, lemon and mint. I like to use Gremolata a bit differently. I make it as an accompaniment in a dish called Gremolata with Roasted Leg of Lamb. The combination of fresh spring mint with fresh garlic and lemon make a very fresh tasty addition to the roasted lamb.

Gremolata with Roasted Leg of Lamb: Plated | urbnspice.com

Plated Roasted Leg of Lamb with Gremolata

Ingredients for Gremolata are crushed in a Mortar and Pestle

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Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Strawberry Salsa

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Confident Kitchen Series

In a recent article called Tweaking: A Study in Flavour Amendment, I describe how to make each dish that you make flavourful and perfectly seasoned. I included the following recipe in that particular article, however, I am reposting separately to make sure that you can access the recipe for Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Strawberry Salsa easily and practice your new ‘tweak-ability’.

In summary, it is now your turn to try some of the flavour boosting tweaking ideas from the article mentioned above. Don’t forget to taste, taste, and then, taste again; even if it means that you have to buy a few extra teaspoons. It will help you build your ‘tweaking’ capabilities and in turn, build confidence in the kitchen.

Roasted Strawberry Salsa on Grilled Chicken Breast

This tweaking process is often ignored until the dish is finished and on the table. In professional kitchens, the tasting ritual is encouraged by having containers of fresh spoons available for the cooks and executive chef for continual tastings while food is being prepared. It is an important element in cooking and one that is stressed in good kitchens.

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UrbnSpice Holiday Treats Preserve

By Denise Pare-Watson

Holiday Treats Preserve – this preserve is also known as Cranberry, Pineapple and Pear Compote.

This is not your ordinary cranberry sauce. This has been a must-have preserve in our family for decades and it is enjoyed year around. This incredible blend of cranberry, pineapple and pear are perfectly balanced together with special cranberry molasses. The Holiday Treats Preserve is amazing with any poultry or pork (and don’t forget turkey dinners!). It is amazing in a chicken Panini, too. No other cranberry sauce will do. We use it all year around for all of our pork and poultry dishes.

It is spread onto slices of bread for turkey or chicken sandwiches or served alongside pork and ham feasts just as easily. It is a treat to be sure – “Holiday Treats Preserve“.

Here are just a few of the ways that you can use this delicious preserve:

On a Wats-On Sandwich

The almost famous “Wats-On Chicken Sandwich” in which a layer of the caramelized onion is crucial. The layers of this beautiful sandwich are as follows: caramelized onion, grilled chicken, provolone cheese, fresh basil leaves, tomato slices, garlic aïoli (or the Caramelized Onion Dip) on a buttered, toasted baguette. Serve with Holiday Treats Preserve. So, so good!

The Almost Famous Wats-on Sandwich

Roasted Turkey Thighs with Honey Dijon Glaze

Roasted Turkey Thighs served with Holiday Treats Preserve

Urb’n’Spice Holiday Treats Preserve

Holiday Treats Preserve, also known as Cranberry, Pineapple and Pear Compote is a delicious preserve that you can use all year around.

For more information about Urb’n’Spice confitures, compotes and jellies, please contact me, Denise Paré-Watson at urbnspice@gmail.com For a list of available confitures, please contact me.

“Urb’n’Spice Tastings” – a pairing of confitures, chutneys and compotes with cheese and charcuterie, together with wine are available upon request for a small fee/person either in your home or mine.

Cooking and Baking Hands-On Classes are available in a group setting of 6 – 8 students or private lessons can also be arranged. These classes are held in my user-friendly and functional kitchen in the heart of Lower Mission in Kelowna, B.C.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

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Inspiration of the Day – Sweet Strawberry Tomatoes

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Inspiration of UrbnSpice Series

These little gems are Sweet Strawberry Tomatoes. Are they not the prettiest thing that you have seen today? (Other than my post of the wee one baking sugar cookies). I could not resist buying them – these Sweet Strawberry Tomatoes became my Inspiration of the Day.

Inspiration of the Day: Strawberry Tomatoes | urbnspice.com

The inspiration of the Day: Strawberry Tomatoes

I have great fun in the market this time of year as the local produce is arriving and is proudly displayed by the greengrocer staff. I am sure that the produce guys wonder as I travel through their displays, exclaiming my great delight while taking photos with my iPhone. I wonder which of the selections I find today will be discussed, cooked, photographed and eaten first? There are not enough hours in a day when there are already a few too many irons in the fire.

For these beauties, the most simple of cooking methods will occur today with another discovery today – rice bran oil! As much as I adore using olive oil with tomatoes, I felt this was a perfect opportunity to try this oil. It has a clean, delicate taste, a high smoke point and, bonus – it also claims many health benefits.

Preparing to Roast the Sweet Strawberry Tomatoes

Roasted Strawberry Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS:

2 vines strawberry tomatoes (about 1/2 lb)
One or two garlic cloves, slivered
Rice Bran Oil, (or Olive Oil) as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the tomatoes (on the vine) and the slivered garlic on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Season with salt and pepper.
Roast until the skin starts to shrivel a bit – about 10 minutes.
Serve directly on top of the dish of your choice; for example, with a lovely grilled steak. Enjoy with a glass of red wine.

Roasted Sweet Strawberry Tomatoes

You Might Also Enjoy:

Roasted Tomato Compote

Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon and Chives – Double Duty Recipe Series

Roasted Strawberry Compote with Chicken

Further Resources:

Learn More About Vine Sweet Strawberry Tomatoes

Rice Bran Oil

Health Benefits of Rice Bran Oil

If you try my recipe for Roasted Tomato Compote, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

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