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Skillet Chicken

Source of Recipe

I think I found this on Southern Plate via Martha Stewart


Recipe Introduction

This recipe is fairly easy, except for maybe cutting the backbone out. But it is so worth it and it smells so good cooking!

List of Ingredients


1 whole roasting chicken
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or to taste)
fresh basil (1 leaf) Chopped small
onion powder to taste
12 inch cast iron skillet (or bigger)
salt
crushed red pepper if wanted


Recipe

Wash your chicken and remove all the parts that are stuff in the inside, giblets, neck, liver, etc. Take your scissors and cut the back bone out of the chicken (or you can use a big knife, whichever is easier). Smash your chick out flat, just lay it on the counter or cutting board and push down on it until it breaks all those bones and the whole chicken is laying out in a long piece of meat. Heat your butter, olive oil, minced garlic, crushed red pepper (if wanted) and onion powder in the cast iron skillet, turn it on high for about 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Salt and pepper your chicken and lay in hot skillet (outside or breast side down) you will have to work it in there to try to be sure the legs and everything is touching the skillet so it will brown. Let brown for about 5 minutes and turn. Let that side brown for about 5 minutes (or until it is a golden brown) then turn off heat, cut up some fresh basil and sprinkle on top of the chicken before putting it in the oven. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how big the chicken is. After its done, remove from oven and squeeze lemon over it, then serve it with the juices from the pan. You can take the juices from the pan and make a gravy from it, but it is just as good drizzled over it the way it is.
The only problem with this recipe is, if you have more than about three people eating and 2 of those are men, there will barely be enough for everybody. The menfolk in my family have it eaten before I can get to the table, so I usually set me some aside before I tell them it's ready. You can add whatever spices your family likes to the oil and butter to cook it in or wait and sprinkle them on top before you put them in the oven. I experiment each time I make it, adding something different. My family does not like Tarragon, I found that out the hard way!
Hope you enjoy it!