flat roasted chicken with rosemary

Ingredients

whole chicken, about 3 lbs.
salt and pepper
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
6 large garlic cloves, sliced
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
olive oil
1 lemon, sliced

Instructions

1. Wash the bird and pat it dry. Remove the backbone with a pair of poultry shears or with a sharp knife. Push down on the breast bone to open the bird like a book.
2. Put the chicken in a roasting pan and season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the rosemary, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle with about 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Now, with your hands gently smear the seasonings all over the bird.
3. Turn the chicken breast side up in the roasting pan, top with the lemon slices, cover, and refrigerate a couple of hours.
4. Bring the chicken to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roast the chicken for about an hour, or until it is beautifully browned and the juices run clear from the leg when pierced. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
5. Put the bird on a cutting board and cut into 6 pieces with a heavy knife or a cleaver.

*From Heart of the Artichoke