Butterfly That Bird!

Well, I went to the Farmer's Market in Cascades a while back and saw they had a vendor selling all-natural (in every possible sense of the word) chicken and other meats and thought it might be a good idea to go ahead and do that.

So I decided on a chicken.

The Scooter asked me how big of a bird I wanted and I figured something small since it isn't a holiday or anything and got the smallest they had - a 3 pound fella.

At this point, the guy whips out a calculator and I figure this cannot be a good sign, but I kept my cool because the last thing I wanted to do was look like one of those normal people who eat normal hormone ridden chicken (calm down, I understand how ridiculous that statement is) and pay normal prices for that chicken, so I just played along and started counting my cash with my sweaty hands.

$26. That's how much a three pound chicken will cost you. TWENTY SIX DOLLARS. 

I don't even know. I just blacked out at that point, threw the money at him and grabbed the bird. 

Fast forward a few days of stressing out about this thing (because at that price, it had better be the best dang chicken I've ever made in my life!) and it just came to me. I must butterfly it.

It was my first time, but I figure what better way to evenly cook the thing rather quickly and make it super easy to consume?? 

I used the following video to guide me in my first butterflying experience:

It was pretty disgusting. Not even going to lie. Is spinal-goo a thing? Because I swear some of it came out while I was trying to do this. 

But because I am a champion (and was already elbow deep in guts anyway), I forged on and got the job done.

I found a recipe on Food52 that features Cardamom! One of my favorite spices! And it got rave reviews, so duh. Get the recipe HERE.

Cardamom pods I schlepped all the way home from Istanbul.

I also broke out my brand new mortar and pestle to do the grinding. Holla.

Don't be concerned by the turd-like appearance of the cardamom seeds, apparently they're supposed to look like that (add that to the list of things I've google-ed before "Is cardamom supposed to look like poop?").

Basically, you smash a bunch of spices with some garlic and add some olive oil to make a paste, then add yogurt, lemon juice, and grated ginger. Coat the bird with the goodness and let it hang out in the fridge for a few hours (I let it go overnight, which a lot of people recommended doing).

Goodnight, Sweet Girl.

I actually spent a fair amount of time at work the next day thinking about this thing, wondering if it would be marinated enough, imagining what the combination of cardamom and cumin and lemon would taste like... crazy.

That evening, I laid a bed of coarsely cut up yams on a baking sheet, brought the birdie out, and roasted it in a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes. Gorgeous!!

Alriiiiiight... to be fair, it was in all honesty, the most tender and juicy chicken I've ever had. Ever. Seriously.

This dish would be perfect for Fall with a side of this stuff:

Pictured above is about a tablespoon's worth of mashed yams (all that was left after I went to town on the communal bowl - classy, I know).

I peeled, boiled, and mashed 1 yam with 2 Tbsp butter, and seasoned with a salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of smoked paprika, and sprinkle of cinnamon.

OY. I love Fall foods.

So in summary, would I do it again? Spend that kind of dough for a measly, albeit beautiful bird? I'm afraid so.

Currently accepting donations for future chicken eating fund.