If you are in need of a special dinner recipe, preparing a spatchcock chicken may be something that would appeal to you. Although it has a funny name and seems as though it might be difficult, in fact it is a very easy dish. Either for a company meal, or a family dinner, this method of cooking chicken will surely get outstanding reviews from your diners.

A spatchcock chicken is really just a butterflied chicken. Ideally, the chicken should be as young and as fresh as possible. If you wish, you may have the butcher butterfly the chicken when you purchase it. But, the process is not difficult, and you might want to learn how to do it yourself.

In order to do the spatchcock operation, it will be necessary to have poultry shears. If you have one of the large and elaborate kitchen knife sets, these shears may be a part of it. If not, purchasing them on their own will be a good investment, as they are handy for a variety of cooking tasks.

Have the chicken on a cutting board in front of you with the breast side down, touching the surface of the board. Take the poultry shears and cut next to the backbone, going the length of the chicken, cutting right through the rib bones. Cut along each side of the backbone, then discard the piece or save it for stock or for some other recipe.

Turn the chicken breast side up on the cutting board, pulling apart what is now the underside where you cut out the backbone. Apply pressure to the breastbone, using the heel of your hand, until it breaks completely the length of the chicken, allowing the chicken to be flattened. This can be done as much as a day ahead of time, especially if you wish to marinate the chicken overnight using your favorite marinade.

When it is time to cook the chicken, place it breast side up in a roasting pan. The pan should be large enough to hold the totally flattened chicken without crowding it. In a 375 F oven, roast the chicken for about fifty minutes. The internal temperature should be 165 F in the thickest area of the thigh. Using this cooking method should produce a well browned chicken with juicy meat all over, even the breast, which using conventional methods can sometimes be a little dry.

Allow the chicken to rest for a couple of minutes, then proceed to cut it into serving pieces with a carving knife. A good knife set, such as a Wusthof knife set, will usually include a carving knife that will do an excellent job for you. Arrange the chicken pieces on a service platter and garnish as you like. You will enjoy your elegant creation as much as the compliments that will go along with it.