 For perfectly roasted chicken, you want your breast meat to be at about 150 degrees Fahrenheit, but you want your thighs to be up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. So this is a problem that people deal with in a number of different ways. You might ice down the breasts in order to chill them before roasting, or you might put the bird repeatedly while you're roasting it to help those legs cook a little bit faster. I'm going to show you a technique today that's a lot easier and faster and more foolproof than either of those methods. It's called spatch cocking or butterfly. So first I'll show you how to spatch cock your chicken, and then I'll show you how to roast it, and all the same time we're going to be making a sauce to go with it. To start, flip your chicken over so that its back is exposed and use sharp kitchen chairs to cut out its spine by snipping along either side. Spatch cocking re-arranges your chicken so that the legs lay flatter than the breasts, and are exposed to more heat around the edges of the pan. That way the legs cook faster while the breast, which is prone to drying out, cooks more gently. Set this spine aside for now, we'll be using that later to flavor the sauce. Flatten the chicken by placing its skin side up on the cutting board and applying firm pressure to the breastbone. Set a wire rack in a rim-baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place the chicken on the rack so that the breast lies in the center of the pan and the legs are closer to the edge. Drizzle the chicken with about a tablespoon of oil and season it generously with kosher salt, ground black pepper, and herbs. Then rub the mixture over all the surfaces of the chicken. Put the chicken onto the upper middle rack of an oven preheated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Set it in the oven with the legs facing towards the back, and if you've got convection, you can use it for the first 15 to 20 minutes of roasting to improve browning. The chicken should be done in about 45 minutes, but I like to check on it after 20 to 30 to make sure that it's browning at the right rate. The chicken's done when the thickest part of the breast registers 150 degrees on an instant read thermometer and the joints in the thigh register at least 170 degrees. While the chicken roasts, we're going to make a quick sauce. We'll start by heating a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over high heat until it's shimmering, then we'll add the chicken back, cut into one inch pieces, and saute them until brown, about three minutes. Next, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring frequently until they begin to brown, about three minutes longer. Add a bay leaf and deglaze with a cup of vermouth or cherry and a cup of water, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. You can also use chicken stock in place of water if you've got it. Once the stock is simmered for about 20 minutes, strain out the solids, return the liquid to the pan, and simmer it until it's reduced down to about a third of a cup. Shut off the heat, then whisk in a little soy sauce, lemon juice, and butter to brighten up the flavor and give the jus a richer texture. When the chicken's done, tent it loosely with foil and allow it to rest about five minutes before carving. To carve the chicken, start by transferring it to a large cutting board. Use a sharp knife to gently separate a leg from the body. They should pull right off with minimal cutting. Spread the drumstick on the thigh with the tip of your knife, then repeat with the remaining leg. Transfer the legs to a serving platter. Split the breast by cutting straight down through the sternum with a heavy knife. You can trim off any excess bits of ribs that are still attached to the breast. Split each breast half into two pieces and add them to the platter with the legs. Roasting a chicken is a basic technique that every home cook should know, and once you learn how to spatch cock it, you're not going to want to cook it with any other method again.