Name: Brick chicken with brown butter and capers
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1.5kg whole chicken; olive oil; 6 cloves garlic skins left on; 50g butter; 2 tbsp capers; to serve Butter lettuce; to serve crusty bread

Brick chicken with brown butter and capers

1.5kg whole chicken
olive oil
6 cloves garlic
skins left on
50g butter
2 tbsp capers
to serve Butter lettuce
to serve crusty bread

Method

step 1
To spatchcock the chicken, put it breast-side down then use strong kitchen scissors or shears to cut down either side of the backbone (click here for a video on how to spatchcock a chicken). Freeze the backbone to use for stock later. Turn the chicken so it’s breast-side up, then press down on the breast bone to flatten it.
step 2
Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil and season really well. Heat a heavy, non-stick ovenproof frying pan, large enough to fit the flattened chicken, and add a little more oil. Put the chicken in breast-side down, scatter round the garlic and put another heavy, ovenproof pan on top of the chicken to weigh it down.
step 3
Roast for 45 minutes then take the chicken out of the pan to rest under loose foil for 20 minutes. Put the pan with the roasting juices over a medium heat and stir in the butter. Cook until the butter turns golden and smells nutty. Stir in the capers, then add back the chicken and spoon the butter all over. Serve with soft green lettuce and crusty bread, if you like.