Roasted Half Chicken

1. Prepare the chicken: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. If you have a whole chicken, cut it in half before roasting. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.2 chicken halves

Cut the chicken in half (optional step):

1. Remove backbone: Place the chicken breast-side down and with the neck end closest to you on a cutting board. Remove the backbone by cutting it all the way down with the kitchen shears. Turn the cutting board so that the legs are closest to you now, and open up the chicken. 
2. Remove the white cartilage that joins the bones by cutting on either side of it. When you can get a hold of it, lift it with your hand and cut around it until it is released. 
3. Flatten the chicken: Flip the chicken skin-side up and press it down with your hands to flatten it on the board. Now, it is butterflied or spatchcocked.
4. Cut it in half using a large chef's knife. Start at the neck and cut all the way down (Note 3).

Season the chicken halves:

1. Mix the olive oil and all the spices. Add a little more oil, if necessary, to obtain a mixture that is easy to brush.2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ¼ teaspoon hot paprika + ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika + ½ teaspoon garlic powder + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + some black pepper
2. Season: Dry the chicken thoroughly using paper towels. Place the halves on the lightly oiled baking sheet skin-side down. Brush the chicken generously with the spice mixture. Flip the halves and brush the skin all over, including under the wings and under the legs. Arrange them on the tray, making sure that they don't touch each other.

Roast chicken halves:

1. Roast the chicken halves for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through. It should be golden brown and crispy, and the inner temperature should be 74 C/ 165 F.
2. Broil the skin: For extra color and crispiness, you can turn on the grill function of your oven for the last 1-2 minutes of the cooking time. In this case, keep a close watch; you don't want the skin to scorch.
3. Rest for about 5 minutes and serve.