…at least that’s what Sunny Anderson said. And she was right!
We had a birthday in our house on Saturday (not mine) and the birthday boy didn’t want to go out to dinner, so I figured I’d make a knock-out meal at home. The only thing I asked for his input on was the starch, and I’m very embarrassed to say that he wanted Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. But whatever, it was his birthday so even though it pained me to buy that stupid blue box at the grocery store, I did.
- The birthday meal
The star of the meal was Sunny Anderson’s Sweet Glazed Butterflied Chicken and I made her Easy String Beans and Onions as well. [EDIT: Since the show aired, I included a link to the Easy String Beans and Onions!] I can’t share the String Bean recipe with you though, you’ll have to watch the April 10th episode of Cooking for Real at 11am on the Food Network to see that dish. I can tell you that it’s absolutely delicious though. It’s now my go-to string bean/green bean recipe. You’ll want to make it over, and over, and over…well, you get the point! 
This was the first time I butterflied a chicken. I saw Sunny butterfly a chicken at her demo at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami and she made it look SO easy. I thought for sure it was going to be one of those things where I go to do it myself and totally screw it up, but that wasn’t the case. It really was easy and I’ll definitely be doing it again in the future.
Sweet Glazed Butterflied Chicken
Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2010 Show: Cooking for Real Episode: Easier Than It Looks
Ingredients
- 1 (5 pound) chicken, spine removed and butterflied
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons grated onion (use the smallest side on a box grater, or use a rasp)
- 2 cloves garlic, grated (on a rasp)
Brushed with Sweet Glaze
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Frank’s Red Hot sauce)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Allow to rest on the counter for up to 2 hours to come to room temperature.
Heat a large oven-safe pan (such as a cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Right as the oil begins to smoke, add the chicken, skin side down. Press gently while cooking and allow to sear until a peek beneath reveals golden brown skin, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, flip the bird over so that the skin is on top and place the pan in the oven. Be gentle with the tongs, they could rip the skin; try gripping the legs to flip. Place the pan in the oven and roast about 30 minutes.
The Finished Product
Meanwhile, in a saucepot on medium heat, add the butter and melt. Add the onions, garlic and allspice, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Sweat the onions for a few minutes, but do not brown. Add the brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce and vinegar. Cook a bit more to bring the flavors together, and then remove from the heat.
When the chicken is around the 140 degree F mark, about 30 minutes in, remove from the oven and brush on the glaze. Return to the oven and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes more. Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before serving. Cut off the legs, and then slice the breast off and cut into portions.
This chicken was out of this world! I’m usually a boneless skinless chicken kind of girl, but I really did enjoy this. I even tasted a little bit of the skin and it was so flavorful and crispy. The chicken was moist and succulent. When we were done all that was left was just bones. Give it a try – you’ll be happy you did!
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