Did you know farmers often throw away garlic scapes, the curly green tops of young garlic plants? Once seen as waste, these vibrant shoots are now a culinary secret weapon — their mellow garlic flavor and grassy freshness elevate any dish. Here, they steal the spotlight, blended into a lemony paste that caramelizes over a flat, deboned chicken, transforming what was once discarded into a crispy, golden masterpiece.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, completely deboned but left in one piece
- 1 cup chopped garlic scapes
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp Aleppo pepper or mild chili flakes
- 1 tsp sumac (optional for tang)
- 1 tsp honey (for subtle caramelization)
- 1 tsp sea salt + extra for finishing
- Fresh herbs (mint, dill, parsley)
Method
- Make the Garlic Scape Marinade:
Blend garlic scapes, lemon zest & juice, olive oil, honey, salt, Aleppo pepper, and sumac into a coarse paste. - Prep the Chicken:
Pat dry the deboned chicken and place it skin-side up. Press it flat like a spatchcock. Rub half of the garlic scape paste all over (under the skin too) and marinate 1–2 hours (or overnight). - Roast:
Preheat oven to 425°F Place chicken skin-side up on a parchment-lined sheet pan or in a cast iron pot. Roast 40–50 minutes, brushing with more garlic scape paste halfway through. - Serve:
