Pollo al Forno con Aceto Balsamico - Balsamic Roast Chicken

Pollo al Forno con Aceto Balsamico - Italian Balsamic Roast Chicken

Pollo al Forno con Aceto Balsamico - Balsamic Roast Chicken

Three things make this recipe special: infusing the chicken with a fragrant combination of rosemary, garlic, and olive oil; butterflying (aka splatchcocking) the whole chicken to cook in half the time with twice the crispness and moist meat; and the magic of good balsamic vinegar.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Northern Italy

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Dry marinate: 1

Total Time: 1 1

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, wire rack, instant-read thermometer
Kitchen shears or stiff sharp knife.

Ingredients

4½ lb Roasting chicken, preferably Kosher or free-range
1 tbsp Fresh rosemary leaves or 1 tsp dried
1 clove Garlic
¼ tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Baking powder
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp Fresh ground black pepper
6-8 sprigs Fresh rosemary
4 tbsp Artisan-made Tradizionale balsamic vinegar (or commercial Balsamic Vinegar of Modena blended with ½ tsp brown sugar)

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Instructions

Butterfly and Marinade Chicken

Splatchcock (butterfly) the whole chicken by cutting down both sides of the spine and removing it. Flatten chicken by placing it on a cutting board and pressing down hard on the breastbone to flatten the chicken as much as possible.
Rinse and dry chicken. Make marinade paste by mincing the rosemary leaves and garlic in the salt and baking powder. Rub skin side of chicken in olive oil and then rub rosemary-garlic paste all over the skin. Sprinkle with pepper.
To marinade, place chicken in a pan big enough to hold the butterflied chicken but small enough to fit in the refrigerator. Cover the chicken lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 24 hours.

Cook and Serve

Remove chicken from refrigerator. Place 3 sprigs rosemary on a parchment-lined baking pan. Place wire rack over the rosemary and then place flattened chicken skin-side up and spread as wide as possible.
Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) with the rack in the upper-middle position.
Roast chicken until the thickest part of the breast registers 150°F (66°C) on an instant read thermometer and thigh is at 165°F (77°C), about 45 minutes. Reduce heat to 450°F (232°C) if skin begins to darken too quickly. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
To serve, carve chicken and arrange pieces in a serving dish. Either pour balsamic over the pieces or serve separately in a small bowl so diners can spoon their own.

Notes

Splatchcocking poultry is a technique that once learned, will become your go-to way to grill and roast chicken and turkey. Half the time, crispier skin, and moister meat. What could be bad?
The "good stuff" balsamic vinegar is well worth the cost as you only need a small amount and it really is transformational.

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