Weeknight Butterflied Chicken with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon

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   Preheat the oven to 400 F. 2.

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   Rinse the chicken (including the cavity).

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   3.

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   Dry the chicken with paper towels, and place it on a cutting board, breast side down and backbone side up, with the neck cavity facing you.

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   4.

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   Cut along either side of the backbone; remove the bone and throw it away.

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   5.

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   Turn the chicken over, and firmly press on the breastbone to break it.

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    6.

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    Now that the chicken is splayed out, pat it dry again with more paper towels (the drier you can get it, the crisper the skin will bake up).

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    7.

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    Spread a layer of parchment paper on a large baking sheet and put the chicken on it (cavity side down).

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    8.

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    Pour the olive oil over the chicken, spreading it over the entire surface with your fingers.

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    9.

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    Generously season the whole chicken with salt and pepper.

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    10.

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    Break apart the head of garlic (you dont need to remove the papery skins on the cloves) and roughly chop one of the lemons into about 6 pieces.

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    11.

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    Distribute the garlic, rosemary leaves, and chopped lemon on top of and underneath the chicken, with the whole sprig of rosemary underneath.

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    12.

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    Roast for 35-45 minutes, testing for doneness at 35 minutes.

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    I remove it right before it hits 160F in the breast.

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    Optional: 10 minutes before the roasting time is up, you can smear the skin in butter to add a golden brown color to the skin.

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    14.

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    Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.

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    Serve with fresh wedges of lemon and dont forget to squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins!

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    Its one of the best parts.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.