Place chicken breast side down on a large cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut the backbone out of the chicken—starting from the bottom, carefully cutting up to the neck. Cut the other side and reserve the backbone for stock. Flip the chicken so the breast is facing up. The chicken’s legs will easily fold out to the side with the drums facing inwards. Press down firmly on the chicken breast to gently flatten the bird.

Combine the buttermilk, your favorite aromatics, sweetener, apple cider and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Place the chicken in a large glass baking dish or bowl and pour the buttermilk mixture over the bird. Make sure to get both sides completely coated in buttermilk. Cover the vessel with a cloth and place it in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Flip the bird once or twice to make sure both sides are evenly marinated.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the bird from the marinade and place it on a shallow rack positioned on a sheet tray. Tuck the wing tips behind the tops of the wings where they join the breast to ensure they don’t burn. Roast the chicken in the middle rack on the oven until done to your preferred temperature. Finish-broil for a minute to brown and crisp skin. Spatchcocked chickens cook much more evenly and quickly, so check the temps with a meat thermometer after 40 minutes. If it browns too quickly, cover with foil and continue roasting.

Let the chicken rest for 20–30 minutes before carving.

Insight: Spatchcocked chicken is a great way for beginning home cooks to prepare a whole bird. The bird cooks evenly and the thigh and breast come to temperature at the same time. Cultured buttermilk infuses the bird with a tangy and rich, buttery flavor from the inside out and makes for an extremely juicy final product. Apple cider adds a sweet fall tasting note to the chicken and its addition helps caramelize the outside of the chicken’s skin in the oven. To avoid buttermilk, marinate in cider or hard cider like a brine.