Roast chicken is an everyday delight, suitable for special occasions and midnight snacks alike. While you may be familiar with the classic roasting style, with bundled legs and tucked-in wings, this method can result in overcooked breasts and soggy thighs, two phrases I don’t want anywhere near my chicken.

There is a better way to roast your chicken for a more even cooking: spatchcocking. It’s not too difficult and it’s worth the extra effort.

You can spatchcock, or butterfly, any bird. Essentially, this method involves doing your best to lay the bird flat so that all of the parts are at the same level. Imagine the paper core of a toilet paper roll. If you cut one lengthwise, you can roll it out to make a flat piece of paper. Spatchcocking is similar, but the steps involved are a little more macabre.

Traditional roasting places the driest part of the meat (the breast of the chicken) at the top, often closest to the heating element. Before you even turn on the heat, it’s a recipe for overcooking. The juiciest parts (i.e., the thighs) sit lower, if not completely under the rest of the body, and are protected from direct heat. This means that by the time the thighs reach 165°F (the target temperature for cooked poultry), the breast has long since surpassed that.