A spatchcocked roast chicken is a better roast chicken

Sohla El-Waylly shares how to get a perfectly (and more quickly) roasted bird.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 7, 2024 Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. No backbone, no problem By Sam Sifton Good morning. I'm just spitballing here, but I bet the use of the word "spatchcocking" — which describes the business of cutting the backbone out of a bird and flattening the remaining body into a pan so that it roasts more quickly and evenly — peaks around Thanksgiving, at least in America. A spatchcocked turkey is a marvelous thing. But the term is British in origin, and it relates generally to chickens or game birds. A spatchcocked chicken (above) makes for a fantastic meal, one that comes together in a fraction of the time it takes to roast a whole one. Don't be nervous if you've never de-backboned and roasted a chicken. Sohla El-Waylly has a neat new recipe, part of her new Cooking 101 series, that will walk you through the remarkably simple butchery and all that follows. If you don't have time to dry brine the bird overnight, that's just fine. Even a couple of hours under salt will yield a bird that's juicy beneath its crisp, burnished skin. Featured Recipe Spatchcock Roast Chicken View Recipe → That will be dinner tonight for me, alongside some lemony puréed potatoes and sautéed peas. As for the rest of the week. … Monday I love Melissa Clark's recipe for crispy tofu with balsamic tomatoes for its deliciousness, yes, but also for how she roasts the tofu in the oven with a mixture of cornstarch and olive oil that leaves it crackly and golden-brown without the mess of deep-frying on the stovetop. On the other side of the sheet pan: cherry tomatoes, blistered in more oil and the sweet acidity of balsamic vinegar. Toss everything together and serve over quinoa. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Crispy Tofu With Balsamic Tomatoes By Melissa Clark 40 minutes, plus at least 15 minutes' draining Makes 2 to 3 servings Tuesday There's not much better than a wintertime scallop, and I like mine sautéed in butter to create a nice crust on one side before flipping it for a few seconds to warm through the other. (If there are no scallops in your neck of the woods, Julia Moskin uses a similar technique for any fillet of fish.) That's great served over a bed of baby arugula, with some torn baguette for starch. Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Gozde Eker. Sautéed Scallops By Sam Sifton 10 minutes Makes 4 servings Wednesday Naz Deravian's take on the classic Japanese stir-fry known as yaki udon is a weeknight winner, rich and salty-sweet. I like mine with ground pork, but beef, chicken or turkey would work nicely as well, as would crumbled firm tofu. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Yaki Udon By Naz Deravian 40 minutes Makes 4 to 6 servings  Thursday Kay Chun's recipe for bean and cheese burritos is built on a vegetarian version of refried beans, which might usually be made with lard or bacon fat. What makes the burritos exemplary, I think, is how she pan-fries the tortilla packets at the end, which delivers a terrifically crisp exterior and a filling that oozes with melted cheese. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Hadas Smirnoff. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgepeth. Bean and Cheese Burritos By Kay Chun 40 minutes Makes 6 burritos Friday And then you can welcome the weekend with a treat: Tanya Sichynsky's recipe for hot dogs with pico de gallo. Tanya generally grills her dogs, but this time of year you can take them on a run under the broiler, or simply cook them in a skillet slicked with oil so that they tighten and come close to bursting in the heat. Will I apply a dollop of queso to each hot dog before topping with the pico de gallo? Rabbit, I might. Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Hot Dogs With Pico de Gallo Recipe from Tanya Sichynsky Adapted by Genevieve Ko 30 minutes Makes 4 servings Many thousands more recipes await you at New York Times Cooking. Yes, you need a subscription to read them. Subscriptions support our work here and allow it to continue. If you haven't taken one out yet, would you please consider doing so today? Thanks. Write for help if you find yourself crosswise with our technology. We're at cookingcare@nytimes.com and someone will get back to you. Or if you'd like to bark about something, or say something nice for me to pass along to my colleagues, I'm at foodeditor@nytimes.com. I can't respond to every letter. But I read every one I get. Now, it's a far cry from anything to do with marjoram or mace, but you should absolutely read Lizzy Goodman on the band boygenius, in The New York Times Magazine. I spent some happy hours with Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcel, rereading James Lee Burke's 2000 novel, "Purple Cane Road." He's known for violence and hurt, but no one writes weather better than Burke. My colleague Tina Jordan is a brave spelunker in the cavernous archive of The New York Times Book Review. Last week she returned with an accounting of a 1903 best seller, Mary Augusta Ward's "Lady Rose's Daughter." It's a joy to read. Finally, Ween: "Buckingham Green," music for spatchcocking. I'll return next week. Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Need help? 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