"For a quicker-cooking, uniformly browned bird, spatchcock it. Or butterfly it. The terms sound like you or the chicken might need to perform some gymnastics, but all they really involve is cutting the backbone out of the chicken so it can lay flat. This exposes the thighs and legs to the oven's heat, reducing the cook time and letting all parts to brown evenly."
"But, if you don't, that same high temperature can leave the meat, especially the breast, dry and chalky. Instead, drop the temperature to about 325 degrees and cook for longer. The moderate heat cooks the bird gently, and the ample time in the oven gives the collagen a chance to really break down, for silky meat you can pull off the bone with your fingers."
Salt and grease a chicken and roast it until cooked yields acceptable results, but simple upgrades can elevate it above supermarket rotisserie birds. Marinating in acidic ingredients like feta, buttermilk, or yogurt keeps meat juicy while crisping and caramelizing skin. Spatchcocking or butterflying by removing the backbone lets the bird lay flat so thighs and legs brown faster and evenly. High heat can produce shatteringly crisp skin but risks drying meat; roasting at about 325 degrees for longer breaks down collagen and yields silky, pull-off-the-bone meat. Roast two birds for dinner and refrigerated meals; scatter vegetables like carrots and potatoes around the chicken before roasting.
Read at cooking.nytimes.com
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