This is one of our favorite meals. The hardest part is waiting for the chicken to finish resting before we dig in. We love the slightly bitter sweetness of broccoli rabe, although if you prefer you could substitute broccoli or cauliflower. And really, the best part of this preparation is the amount of crispy chicken skin; because the bird is roasted flat, all the skin renders and crisps, which makes for an all-around better chicken.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 with leftovers
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) or 400°F (205°C) with convection. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Step 2
Trim the bottom third from the rabe, then wash and dry it. Put the broccoli rabe in a large bowl and add the onion, red pepper, and 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt. Toss the ingredients together to season evenly.
Step 3
Put the chicken on the cutting board with its legs in the air and the tail and back facing you. Use a serrated knife to cut to the right of the tail and straight down along the backbone to open up the chicken. Spread the chicken open flat. Use the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) salt to season the skin side and then the inside cavity.
Step 4
Mound the broccoli rabe mixture in the center of the prepared pan. Lay the chicken on top of the broccoli rabe, skin side up. It will look like the chicken is lying on a nest, with some rabe exposed at the edges. Roast for 45 minutes. With a heatproof pastry brush, baste the bird with the fat that has collected in the bottom of the pan. Rotate the pan and continue to roast for another 30 minutes. Then turn off the oven without opening it, and leave the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 10 more minutes.
Step 5
Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. Carve the chicken and arrange the meat on a platter. Squeeze lemon juice over the vegetables in the pan and gently toss them with the pan juices, scraping up any brown bits stuck on the bottom. Put the dressed broccoli rabe and any juices in a bowl and serve with the chicken.
