Spatchcocking Debate

[BakerAunt]

This article on spatchcocking a chicken or turkey reflects my feelings on the process. Yours may differ:

https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/why-you-should-stop-spatchcocking-your-chickens-article?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=epi&utm_mailing=EPI_CTN_072219&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5c93032824c17c329bff212e&cndid=44882808&esrc=bounceX&utm_term=EPI_CTN

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[Mike Nolan]

I generally prefer to cut chicken up than to spatchcock it, mainly because I can fit a cut up chicken in my small oven but a spatchcocked bird is too rectangular and has to go in the big oven. Roasting a chicken whole has the advantage that you can stuff the cavity--not with stuffing, but with fruit, usually some apples, lemon slices, brandied prunes and a few slivered almonds. This makes for the most flavorful juices, which makes your gravy just incredible. (This idea came from James Beard, who used that for a goose, but it works with other poultry as well.)

My older son likes to spatchcock turkey, my preferred method would be to do it on the outdoor rotisserie.

I will agree with the author that spatchcocking a bird can be a bit messy, but that's why they make 18 x 24 plastic cutting boards.

Something that's kind of fun to do with company (though a bit of work to prepare) is to completely debone a chicken and stuff it. You present it whole at the table and just slice it to serve it. Kind of a fun presentation.

[skeptic7]

I don't spatchcock chickens, I go the whole way and debone everything except the wings and part of the drumstick. It isn't that hard with a sharp paring knife. I then lay it flat on a rack and roast it. It cooks faster and more evenly and all the skin is nicely brown and tasty, with out undercooked white spots.
Now the time I did Turkey it was a messier job and required a proper boning knife for the joints. The smallest knife is the easiest to use, but I also bought a protective glove for my other hand after my first Turkey.
It helps to clean off the counter completely and cover with newspaper and then use the biggest cutting board available. I deboned the turkey and not only does it cook quicker and more evenly it is much easier to carve. The turkey bones make a nice low fat turkey broth too.

Debone chicken

[Joan Simpson]

When I worked at the lunchroom every holiday that we had turkey we each had to debone 2 turkeys,that's a job but just takes practice.I don't spatchcock chicken at my home either.

[Mike Nolan]

One of the challenges with deboning a turkey is that there are lots of small bones in it that in a smaller bird like a chicken are basically just strands of fiber that you can just barely find and don't really need to remove.

[RiversideLen]

I love the spatchcock chicken because it eliminates the cavity. I just put the chicken on a half sheet pan and apply my kitchen shears to it.

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