If you want to save time on cleanup, line the bottom of the roasting pan with enough aluminum foil to cover evenly. When the chicken is done cooking, cleaning is as easy as throwing the aluminum foil away.
It’s always best to test your chicken with a thermometer. Make sure that the meat is 165 °F (74 °C) before you serve it.
Using kitchen shears, cut along one side of backbone, going the length of the chicken. Cut along the other side of the backbone, going the length of the chicken again. Remove backbone. Like a book, open the chicken and locate the keel bone in the center of the bird. It will feel like cartilage and be shaped like a long tooth. Slice across the membrane that holds the keel bone, place two fingers underneath the bone, and pop it out. Turn the chicken over and spread it out like a butterfly, with the legs pulled toward you.
