Dan Pelosi knows how to throw a fiesta. His latest book, Let’s Party, is all about the art of serving fun, flavorful, family-style meals to gatherings both large and small. Among the many truly stellar recipes in the book, we’re perhaps most taken with his melted leek and lemon roast chicken — a stunning, savory bird with brown, crispy skin. And Pelosi introduces some kitchen tricks that you can use to wow your guests.
“Spatchcocking a chicken — removing the spine and laying it flat — helps with even cooking, rendering juicy meat and crispy skin across the entire bird,” Pelosi writes. He includes instructions in the recipe below, but we also like this tutorial for visual learners. Trust us, it’s a pretty easy process.
“In this slow-roasted dish,” he continues, “the leek and lemon melt into the sauce and the outside of the bird gets brown and beautiful.” So be sure not to skimp on these aromatics — they’ll immediately level up your poultry.
“The key here is consistent basting so the meat stays moist and the skin gets blanketed in the fat pooling below,” Pelosi writes. Think all the basting is too much? Pelosi points out that you’ll love the end result: “The reward after all that work is a deeply flavored skillet sauce that almost steals the show. I guarantee this will immediately become one of your go-to chicken recipes, deserving of its own party!”
Melted Leek & Lemon Roast Chicken
Serves 6 to 8
Make Ahead: The chicken can marinate up to 24 hours.
Ingredients
- 1 (4-pound) whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 lemons
- 1 large or 2 small leeks, halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ to 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Place the chicken on a cutting board so the breast side is down and the drumsticks are facing you. Find the spine running down the center of the chicken. Use kitchen shears to cut along either side of the spine and remove it. Flip the chicken breast side up and spread out the edges. Press hard in the center of the breastplate to snap it so the chicken lies flat. Pat the chicken dry all over with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and the zest of 2 of the lemons. Pinch the mixture with your fingers until a thick paste forms. Spread half the paste over the inside of the chicken, rubbing to evenly distribute it over the meat. Rub the rest of the mixture evenly over the skin side of the chicken. Line a large plate with paper towels and set the chicken on top. Marinate in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Arrange the leeks evenly over the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet. Thinly slice the remaining 1 lemon and arrange the pieces in the skillet. Cut the two zested lemons in half and squeeze the juice directly into the skillet. Add the olive oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks start to soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the chicken straight from the fridge to the top of the leeks and lemons, skin side up. Blanket the skin with pepper.
- Place the skillet in the oven and roast the chicken for 1 hour, stopping every 15 minutes to spoon the juices over the skin. After the first basting, add ½ cup of the chicken broth to the bottom of the skillet. After the third basting, if needed, add another ½ cup if the skillet looks dry.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and baste one more time. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a carving board. Slice to remove the thighs, then cut between the thighs and drumsticks to break into separate sections. Cut down the center of the breastbone along the ribs to release each breast, then cut each one across in half to make four pieces. Nestle all the chicken pieces back in the skillet around the lemon and leek pieces.
- Serve family-style with a large spoon for scooping chicken pieces, leeks, lemons, and pan sauce.
Note: To make this recipe on the grill, prepare the grill for medium heat, about 400°F. Arrange everything in the skillet without cooking, set the chicken on top, and blanket with pepper. Set on the grill grates over direct heat and close the lid. Follow the same instructions for baking and basting.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Let’s Party by Dan Pelosi © 2025. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photography by Johnny Miller.
