Barefoot Bloggers- Butterflied (Lemon Rosemary) Chicken

This week's Barefoot Bloggers recipe come from Stefany and it was such a great choice! It's nice to "have" to try something new besides a dessert recipe (though they are still my favorite to make!) This Barefoot Contessa recipe is simple, easy, and flavorful- exactly what Ina is known for. Because the Safeway butcher said he couldn't debone a chicken (and gave me a friendly laugh at the suggestion) I decided to buy chicken breasts with the skin and bone. I followed the recipe, making a little extra seasoning to cover the extra surface area, and baked the chicken in the oven after searing it on the grill pan. It took about thirty minutes to reach 165 and came out beautiful and fragrant. I tossed the chicken in a big bowl, served it with some of Ina's Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and broccoli for a hearty summer dinner- perfect to share with friends. The chicken was so moist and flavorful. I used the leftover chicken for sandwiches and salads and everyone was happy . What can I say... we love Ina around here! We finished the meal with her Berry Pavlova, made into miniatures and snatched up too quickly to get a picture. Imagine two toddlers eating mixed berry soaked meringue cookies and licking the juice off the plate when it was all done. Well, the adults did about the same thing...

Butterflied Chicken
by Ina Garten
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus 2 sprigs
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 roasting chickens (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), deboned and butterflied
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Mix the chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl to make a paste.

Place the chickens on a sheet pan, skin side up, and loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers. Place 1/2 of the paste under the skin of each chicken. Rub any remaining paste on the outside and underside of the chickens.

Turn the chicken skin side down and scatter the lemon slices and sprigs of rosemary over each chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Roll each chicken up, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat a grill with coals. Spread the coals out in 1 dense layer and brush the grill with oil. Unroll the chickens, place them on the grill and cook for 12 minutes on each side. (Or bake on a baking sheet at 425 until internal temperature reaches 165, about 30 minutes).