We Cook! Grilled Spatchcock Chicken, Romesco Sauce – Alison Mountford

By Alison Mountford, contributing chef, for RINewsToday

Updated May, 2024

Active Time – 15

Total Time – 60

Serves – 6

ABOUT – Romesco sauce is fun to make with fresh charred peppers or use a jar of roasted red peppers. You can ask the butcher to remove the backbone from the chicken or try it yourself! It cooks more evenly this way, and it is easy to serve.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken

3.5-5 pound chicken (back bone removed – aka spatchcock)

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sauce

2 red bell peppers

4 tomatoes

1 slice of bread

2 cloves garlic

4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup sliced almonds

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/2 cup fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.

1. CHICKEN

Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and cracked black pepper (to taste), and 1 teaspoon of paprika. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the chicken on both sides and rub it in. Press the chicken, on the skin side, to break the breastbone so it lays flat!

Place the chicken skin side down and arrange the legs so it lays flat, and the skin side is touching the grates; cook with the lid closed for about 10 minutes. Turn heat to low or move chicken to indirect heat if using charcoal.

Rotate and flip the whole chicken every 10 minutes or so for even cooking. It’s done when the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F; about 40-50 minutes, depending on the side of the chicken. Skin will be deeply golden and crispy.

2. ROMESCO SAUCE

Place the whole peppers and tomatoes on the grill, turn occasionally, until they’re softening and charred in spots; about 5 minutes.

Peel off some of the charred skin if needed, remove the seeds from the peppers and put them into a blender. Put the tomatoes in whole. Tear the bread and add it. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until it’s smooth and consistent, but it will have a coarse texture. Add a tablespoon of water, or so, if needed to blend.  Taste and add more salt if needed.

3. SERVING

Let the chicken rest for 5-20 minutes, then carve. Serve with sauce and garnish with more chopped parsley.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 6 days. The sauce can be frozen if you have too much. It also tastes great stirred with mayo on a sandwich, or over roasted potatoes or eggs.

PDF download to print here: https://rinewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Spatchcock-Chicken-with-Romesco-Sauce-Alison-Mountford.pdf

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Chef Alison Mountford is the founder of Ends+Stems – which is a meal planning membership and recipe website to reduce food waste. “Chef Alison” also hosts a series of online courses for easier weeknight meals and feeding picky eaters with less stress. Alison began in 2005 as a personal chef and caterer in San Francisco but she recently returned home to Rhode Island!

She is passionate about helping families eat well together, with less frustration. Alison is often hired as a speaker to share about household food waste, feeding busy families, and sustainability in the kitchen; she’s appeared many times on The Rhode Show and other podcasts and webinars.

Alison is also the Market Coordinator at Hope & Main – Rhode Island only culinary incubator – where she loves helping new food businesses expand their social media, brand, and increase sales at the farmer’s markets!