Buying whole chicken is much more affordable, rather than boneless and skinless pieces. By cooking with the bones in, you get a much moister finished product and you can keep the bones to make delicious stock. By breaking the chicken down, also called butterflying or spatchcocking, it cooks more quickly and evenly.

Makes 2 meals for a family of 4

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped or pressed

2 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped or cut

1 tsp salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

1 whole chicken, approx 1.8 kg (4 lbs)

Combine oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a small dish and set aside. Put a large cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 400F. Get a Ziploc freezer bag out and put the chicken on a cutting board breast side down. Take sharp kitchen shears or a sharp knife and cut along both sides of the back bone, which will allow you to open the chicken up into a butterfly. Remove the back bone and put it in your stock bag. Snip off any excess fat. Take the oil mixture and rub it all over the chicken on both sides and under the skin.

Recipe by Nicole Fetterly, RD