The secret to beautifully glazed roast chicken

The lacquered look of a glazed roasted chicken may be alluring, but it can be a trial to execute well. The sugar in glazes caramelizes in the oven, adding deep sweet-savory notes and intensifying browning. That is, unless the glaze drips off the football-shaped bird, as so many do, creating a sticky, scorched mess on your pan.

Our solution came in a well-tested technique for evenly roasting chickens: spatchcocking, or butterflying, which involves cutting out and discarding a bird’s backbone so it can be spread open and flattened. This allows the chicken to cook and brown evenly, while also making it easier to spread on a glaze and have it stay put in the oven.

For this recipe from our book “COOKISH,” which limits recipes to just six ingredients without sacrificing flavor, we make a simple glaze with fruity, tangy-sweet chutney mixed with butter for richness and turmeric for savoriness. Before cooking, we mix citrus juice into a portion of the glaze to serve as a sauce alongside the carved chicken.

An herbed grain pilaf is a perfect accompaniment. For more recipes, go to Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street at 177milkstreet.com/ap

MILK STREET PHOTOS This simple glaze mixes tangy-sweet chutney with butter and turmeric. Citrus juice added to a portion of the glaze before cooking makes a bright dipping sauce.

Spatchcocking, or butterflying, involves cutting out a bird’s backbone so it can be flattened. This allows the chicken to brown evenly and helps the glaze stay put.