500°F Roasted Chicken
- Makes4 servings
- Cook Time2 hours
- Active time plus cooling15 minutes active, plus resting
A blisteringly hot oven works beautifully for quickly achieving crisp, bronzed skin on a spatchcocked chicken, but it also can smoke up the kitchen when drippings scorch on the hot pan. Our solution is simple — a few slices of sandwich bread moistened with water to absorb the rendered fat and juices. (You can even use the heels of the loaf, everyone’s least favorite part.) If your oven offers a convection setting, use it. The circulation of hot air not only shaves a few minutes off the roasting time, it helps the bird brown more evenly.
Don’t skip the one-hour room-temperature rest after seasoning the chicken; this helps it cook more quickly. And be sure to pat the bird dry before roasting. The salt draws out moisture that must be wicked away to get the best browning and crisping.
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