Crispy Roasted Chicken With Blueberry Gastrique

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Step 2

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.

Step 3

Butterfly the chicken: Remove any innards from the chicken. Put the whole chicken breast-side down on a flat surface.

Step 4

Find the backbone running down the center. Use a pair of sharp poultry shears or scissors to cut up along the backbone on one side and then cut along the other side. Remove the backbone and save it to add to chicken stock (or to cook to feed to your pet).

Step 5

Flip the bird over, breast-side up. Gently press down on the breast meat to open the chicken up and flatten it. The breastbone will break as you press. The chicken should now sit almost flat. Use the shears again to cut the chicken completely in half.

Step 6

Cook the chicken: Liberally season the chicken on all sides with sea salt and freshly crack black pepper. Don’t forget to lift up each wing and season under there, too.

Step 7

Put the chicken skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a rack, put the pan in the center of the hot oven and cook for 1 hour, undisturbed.

Step 8

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 9

Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with vegetables.

Step 10

Add the vinegar, water, sugar, peppercorns and rosemary, thyme, sage and dill to a medium saucepan and bring it a boil.

Step 11

Rinse the blueberries and add them to a clean quart jar.

Step 12

Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the brine over the blueberries, covering them entirely.

Step 13

Allow berries to macerate for at least 3 hours or until the brine has cooled.

Step 14

The berries will keep up to a year in the refrigerator.