Brick chicken with brown butter and capers

1 HOUR 25 MINUTES SERVES 4 | EASY | GF

So-called because a brick wrapped in foil was traditionally used to weigh down the chicken. Spatchcocking the bird and having it in direct contact with the pan reduces the cooking time and gives crisp, golden skin.

whole chicken 1.5kg olive oil garlic 6 cloves, skins left on butter 50g capers 2 tbsp

Butter lettuce to serve crusty bread to serve

• To spatchcock the chicken, put it breastside down then use strong kitchen scissors or shears to cut down either side of the backbone (see Omagazine.com for a video on how to spatchcock a chicken). Freeze the backbone to use for stock later. Turn the chicken so it’s breast-side up, then press down on the breast bone to flatten it.

• Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil and season really well. Heat a heavy, non-stick ovenproof frying pan, large enough to fit the flattened chicken, and add a little more oil. Put the chicken in breast-side down, scatter round the garlic and put another heavy, ovenproof pan on top of the chicken to weigh it down.

• Roast for 45 minutes then take the chicken out of the pan to rest under loose foil for 20 minutes. Put the pan with the roasting juices over a medium heat and stir in the butter. Cook until the butter turns golden and smells nutty. Stir in the capers, then add back the chicken and spoon the butter all over. Serve with soft green lettuce and crusty bread, if you like.

PER SERVING 532 KCALS | FAT 37.7G SATURATES 13.3G | CARBS 1.1G | SUGARS 0.2G FIBRE 0.5G | PROTEIN 46.7G | SALT 0.9G