Jerked Spatchcock Chicken and Plantains from So Good

Serves 4

Spatchcock is one of my favorite words. Because obviously I’m a 12-year-old boy. But it’s also one of my favorite butchering techniques, as it enables you to cook a whole bird, any bird, evenly on a grill or in a pan. Here it’s part of a sweet and spicy Caribbean combo. (But for extra giggles, serve it with cockles.)

Directions

Spatchcock the chicken by removing the backbone and opening the chicken like a book so that it lies nearly flat. Slide out the breast cartilage.

In a shallow glass, ceramic, or other nonreactive bowl, stir together the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, and jerk spices. Flatten the chicken in the marinade so that it’s covered as completely as possible. Cover and refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours or overnight.

Prepare a gas or charcoal grill so that the heating elements or coals are medium-hot.

Lift the chicken from the marinade and let any excess drip back into the pan. Lightly pat the chicken with paper towels to remove excess moisture and then lay the bird on the grill, skin side down. Grill the chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, turning it several times. It’s done when the juices run clear or when an instantread thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 170°F. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest, loosely covered with aluminum foil.

In a large skillet, heat about 1 inch of the peanut oil until hot. Cook the plantains in a single layer until browned, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt while still hot.

With a heavy knife, cut the spatchcocked chicken into 8 or 10 pieces (you might want to cut the breasts in half if they are large). Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and garnish with scallions, cilantro, and fried plantains. Serve with the pepper vinegar and mango chutney on the side.

Note

Pepper vinegar is exactly that: vinegar flavored with peppers, or to be more accurate, chiles. Many people make their own, stuffing halved or coarsely chopped fresh chiles (any that you have on hand or that you especially like) into bottles or jars and then topping them with vinegar (usually cider vin). After 3 to 4 weeks, you have a pepper sauce to reckon with. Or you can buy pepper vin online, from fancy markets, and at some farmer’s markets.