Spatch. Crispy without the fridge sit?

KiterTodd

I've just about given up on depending on a crispy spatch...this is quite the random result cook for me.  
First spatch was right from the store into the egg, perfect!  
Second spatch, same program, but not crispy.
Next time I made two, let them sit overnight, crispy.
Last two, only short sits in the fridge, not crispy.

The flavor is always good, but I can not repeat the awesome results of my first cook, so I'm looking for tips.

Can you get a crispy spatchcock chicken WITHOUT letting it sit in the fridge for a day or two? 
Honestly, I usually don't have time or plan for that, and it really makes the fridge smell foul.

There's another thread where someone swears by cornstarch.  ?

Just wondering if anyone else out there doesn't bother with letting the chicken sit uncovered and still gets consistently crisp skin?

I cook it at 375. 
I have to admit, 375 is an odd temp for me and I can't seem to get the egg to hold it.  It is usually a roller coaster between 350 and 390 with me making very small adjustments but never getting it to hold that temp.  It seems like once the lump is burning hot enough to hit 375, it wants to climb over 400 and I have to do a dramatic vent closing to get it to stop rising.  Anyway, not sure if that has anything to do with it...

Sincerely,

Frustrated Spatcher

shtgunal3

May be blasphemy but we pull the skin off and throw it away so I don't worry about it.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Use cornstarch. The fridge does not matter. Crispy like a potato chip every time.

Little Steven

Try a light dusting of corn starch with the excess wiped off with a pastry brush. or better still do the bird inverted on a beer stand

SGH

The over night in the fridge is not a must. Does it help? Yes it does, but it's not mandatory. If you are not faint at heart, I will share a trick that I use to produce outstanding skin that is crisp as a Lays potato chip. Now you may want to practice this on a few small chickens until you get the procedure worked out and can perform it at will. That said, here is what I do. I will start whole chicken out at 500 degrees and let them run for 20-30 minutes at this temp until they are close to the color that I want. Then I drop down to a finishing temp in the range of 350-400 degrees depending on where the egg settles. I assure you that the 500 degree blast will crisp the skin. I have covered how to drop temp many times in the past. However if you need me to cover it again I will gladly do so. When it comes to crisping skin, nothing comes close to the use of high heat. No voodoo, no magic just very high heat my friend. Works every time.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

SGH said:

The over night in the fridge is not a must. Does it help? Yes it does, but it's not mandatory. If you are not faint at heart, I will share a trick that I use to produce outstanding skin that is crisp as a Lays potato chip. Now you may want to practice this on a few small chickens until you get the procedure worked out and can perform it at will. That said, here is what I do. I will start whole chicken out at 500 degrees and let them run for 20-30 minutes at this temp until they are close to the color that I want. Then I drop down to a finishing temp in the range of 350-400 degrees depending on where the egg settles. I assure you that the 500 degree blast will crisp the skin. I have covered how to drop temp many times in the past. However if you need me to cover it again I will gladly do so. When it comes to crisping skin, nothing comes close to the use of high heat. No voodoo, no magic just very high heat my friend. Works every time.

Or you could put a $140 Wagyu brisket over the chickens and allow the brisket fat to crisp the skin. Seems excessive for one chicken but I guarantee it works .

lousubcap

@Cen_Tex- I actually thought you gave those SRF briskets at the brisket camp more respect.  You Texans are tough on an imported hunk of beef regardless of pedigree.   >-

The Cen-Tex Smoker

lousubcap said:

@Cen_Tex- I actually thought you gave those SRF briskets at the brisket camp more respect.  You Texans are tough on an imported hunk of beef regardless of pedigree.   >-

we didn't treat them very well. The way it shaped up, we cooked them all hot and fast. Blech. Better than some but not nearly what they should have been. Had fun though

SGH

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

lousubcap said:

@Cen_Tex- I actually thought you gave those SRF briskets at the brisket camp more respect.  You Texans are tough on an imported hunk of beef regardless of pedigree.   >-

we didn't treat them very well. The way it shaped up, we cooked them all hot and fast. Blech. Better than some but not nearly what they should have been. Had fun though

No respect at all. The last batch was ran at near 440 degrees. I think the appropriate term may be Thermonuclear Brisket.

KiterTodd

SGH said:

The over night in the fridge is not a must. Does it help? Yes it does, but it's not mandatory. If you are not faint at heart, I will share a trick that I use to produce outstanding skin that is crisp as a Lays potato chip. Now you may want to practice this on a few small chickens until you get the procedure worked out and can perform it at will. That said, here is what I do. I will start whole chicken out at 500 degrees and let them run for 20-30 minutes at this temp until they are close to the color that I want. Then I drop down to a finishing temp in the range of 350-400 degrees depending on where the egg settles. I assure you that the 500 degree blast will crisp the skin. I have covered how to drop temp many times in the past. However if you need me to cover it again I will gladly do so. When it comes to crisping skin, nothing comes close to the use of high heat. No voodoo, no magic just very high heat my friend. Works every time.

Interesting.   So, you cook to temp then or time?  I would think that first 20-30 will cut down the last half of a 5 lbs. chicken cook to pretty sure.   Heck, I think it would take that 15 minutes remaining just to get my grill down to 375.   Speaking of which...yeah, how do you do it. 

I haven't seen those posts.   I suppose what I would do is close all the vents and watch the internal temp, and then just crack them once it gets where I want it. 


Good tips folks, thank.   Cornstarch...okay, it's not just one guy.   A few more of you swear by it. 

Legume

Cornstarch or baking powder (which has cornstarch in it). I've started using baking powder just because it's less prone to clumping but a dusting of either will crisp the skin. Dry the chicken first though.

blind99

Legume said:

Cornstarch or baking powder (which has cornstarch in it). I've started using baking powder just because it's less prone to clumping but a dusting of either will crisp the skin. Dry the chicken first though.

Has anyone tried baking soda?  I read that the maillard reaction works better in a basic environment and that baking soda would raise the pH - I wonder if this would help??

Legume

Too much chemistry for me, but easy enough to test next batch.

theyolksonyou

If your chasing temps between 350 and 390 your gonna lose every time. Let it settle in the range you want and sit back and relax with beverage in hand. As for crispy skin, I haven't got it right yet.

blind99

Too much chemistry for me, but easy enough to test next batch.

@legume Added a pinch of baking soda to the rub for the wings on the right. Yup, the chemistry works - they definitely browned faster.   But the wings on the left caught up pretty well by the end.

Legume

@blind99‌ looks good, I'lol have to try next batch.

Little Steven

Curious, I've used potato starch, rice starch, tapioca and cornstarch. Does baking soda create any aftertaste?

blind99

@little_steven I couldn't taste any.  the rub was salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder.  I added about 1 tsp of baking soda to about 2 or 3 tbs of rub.  Then they got sauced at the end.  It wasn't the most scientific of experiments!  I'll try again in future cooks.

Little Steven

I was just asking. Never tried it myself.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Baking soda definitely adds sodium (sodium bicarbonate) so I would be careful with hi salt rubs or brines.

Ragtop99

A few minutes with it skin side down also helps, if you're doing it raised direct.  Just don't let it go too long or it will be burnt.  I'll do it in the middle of the cook after I see what part of the grill is the hottest so I avoid putting the breast over that.