1 chicken -- 3 1/2 to 4 pounds
***for the marinade***
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
coarse sea salt to taste
Instructions:
Wash and dry the chicken. Place chicken breast side down on a cutting
board. Using poultry shears or a cleaver, cut out the backbone (you'll
need to make cuts on both sides of the bone, running the length of
the bird to remove it.) Open the chicken like a book. Using a sharp
paring knife, score the top of the breast bone. Run your thumbs along
and under the sides of the breast bone and pop it out. Lay chicken
out flat. Cut a 1-inch slit in the center of the lower half of each
side. Turn bird over and stick the end of each drumstick through the
slit. Breathe a sigh of relief-the hard work is over-the chicken is
now officially spatchcocked. Remove any lumps of fat. Combine lemon
juice, olive oil, and pepper in a non-reactive baking dish. Stir to
mix. Add spatchcocked chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes
or as long as 2 hours, turning a couple of times. Build the fire.
Oil the grill. Rake a 1-inch layer of glowing coals beneath it. Spread
the chicken out on top. Grill the chicken until cooked, starting skin
side down, 6 to 8 minutes per side, adding coals as needed. Move the
chicken from one side of the grill to the other to prevent scorching
from flare-ups. Baste the chicken with any excess marinade as it cooks.
