Grilled Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Spatchcock Chicken

Recipe Rating:	7 Ratings5
Category:	Chicken
Collections:	Festive Feasts
Serves:	4
Prep Time:	15 Min
Cook Time:	1 Hr

Ingredients

4 oz	chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
6 oz	fresh baby spinach, chopped
4 clove	garlic, minced
4 oz	goat cheese, crumbled
2 tsp	lemon zest, divided
2 Tbsp	fresh thyme leaves
1 md	whole chicken (approximately 3 pounds)
1 tsp	salt
1 tsp	paprika
1 tsp	fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbsp	vegetable oil
2 sm	lemons, quartered
4 sprig(s)	fresh thyme for garnish

Pinched by claralene, and 785 more.

Judy Armstrong

Full Flavored

Prairieville, LA (pop. 278,250)

JudyHArms

Member Since Jun 2011

Judy's Notes:

The stuffing keeps the grilled chicken moist and adds so much extra flavor to traditional grilled chicken. This dish presents beautifully for a special dinner for family and friends. Spatchcocking a chicken is so much easier than it sounds!

Comments from the Test Kitchen:

This combo of spinach, goat cheese and roasted tomatoes is truly scrumptious!

Directions

Prepare grill to medium heat.

Drain and chop the sun-dried tomatoes, reserving drained oil. Use a paper towel to remove excess oil from the chopped tomatoes. In a medium bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, spinach, garlic, goat cheese, one teaspoon lemon zest and thyme leaves.

Spatchcock the chicken by using poultry shears to cut down both sides of the backbone and removing it. Open the chicken (like a book) and skin-side down, use a paring knife to gently cut out the breastbone and white cartilage. Turn the chicken back over and starting at the neck, gently insert fingers under the skin and between the meat to loosen the skin over the breast and the top portions of the legs. Gently stuff and distribute equally, the Goat Cheese and Spinach mixture under the skin.

Brush the reserved oil from the tomatoes over the chicken and season all over with the salt, paprika, and pepper.

Brush the vegetable oil over the grill grate. Place the chicken on the grill (cut side down first) and grill over direct heat for 20 minutes per side, and the internal temperature inserted into the thickest portion of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F.

Transfer the Grilled Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Spatchcock Chicken to a serving platter. Sprinkle the chicken with the reserved lemon zest and garnish with the sprigs of fresh thyme. Serve with the quartered lemons to be squeezed on each serving.

Comments

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Gary Hancq SidEFied

Jul 18, 2011

Judy, I will have to try. Had not heard of the term before. A Great Presentation you did. A little googleing provided detailed pictures along with detailed instructions on the method of spatchcocking.

Here is the link:
www.cookthink.com/reference...

I've used the method but never knew it by its name. I'll soon add my recipe of Rock Cornish Hens and Wild Rice. Using this method and placing Bay Leaves under the skin of the small bird.

Happy Cooking, Gary

Monica H MonisiaHossa

Monica Hossa [MonisiaHossa] has shared this recipe with discussion groups:
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Christine... SuperMom77

Christine Fernandez [SuperMom77] has shared this recipe with discussion group:
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Kitchen Crew JustaPinch

I tried this recipe and say it's Family Tested & Approved!

Kitchen Crew JustaPinch

I shared a photo of this recipe.

Judy Armstrong JudyHArms

Aug 27, 2011

Thank you for testing and taking such a great picture of my recipe. Judy

Angela A... Angelina777

Aug 30, 2011

I didn't know this was called Spatchcocking!! I've have done this since I was 14, we had lots of chickens (Victory Garden), my dad was an (unwilling butcher, he loved the chickens, he said they looked himin the eye). We'd wash them real good,"spatchocked" em (left bones in), seasoned with s&p, wrapped each in the spread out fashion, with lots of butcher and waxpaper (that's what we used then), and twined to keep covered and flat!! We baked or fried them flat! They didn't last long in the freezer. Made mom's work easier.

Angela A... Angelina777

Aug 30, 2011

Judy your Spatchcocked Chicken looks yummy, we love the spinach and cheese with the stuffing idea, and with all those herbs!! I will certainly use your recipe with my next chicken!! Thank you Judy!!

Judith... Judith1

Aug 31, 2011

Love this recipe, very flavorful and I did not know the term either.We learn every day. I was born in Oakdale La. and most of my family is still there. I know their are great cooks all in the area!!

Angela A... Angelina777

Aug 31, 2011

I forgoto to mention that I did this because the chickens couldn't fit in our freezer without being able to flatten them before hand!! We had company, they were from the Orient - we only had 2 "flat" chickens left, - so we browned them and cooked them till juices ran clear, then prepared vegetables, put in our dutch oven; 2 cups of rice, with onions, garlic, celery, bell pepper, herbs soy sauce, ground ginger, s&p in our baking dutch oven with chicken bouillion, and butter, placed the well-seasoned browned chickens on top of the rice, and roasted until chickens were well-browned and rice was done (We often did that with day old french bread too). It looked so nice and tasted fantastic!! Our company was so pleased, and interested in how the chickens were so flat!! lol