Recipe: Agave-Barbecue Roasted Chicken

3- to 5-pound whole chicken

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

For the barbecue sauce:

6-ounce can tomato paste

5 tablespoons agave syrup

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 tablespoons cider vinegar

1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the chicken on a cutting board with the breast down.

3. Use kitchen shears to carefully cut from the neck hole down the length of the backbone and out the rump. Repeat on the other side of the backbone. Discard the backbone. The cutting will require a little effort, but the shears should cut through the bones without too much difficulty.

4. Spread open the chicken, exposing the cavity. Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper. Turn the chicken over and place it cavity side down in a roasting pan just a bit larger than the chicken. Gently press the chicken to flatten. Season over and under the skin with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the barbecue sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Set aside.

6. After the chicken has roasted for 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil. Use a pastry brush to brush the barbecue sauce thickly over the entire chicken. Return the chicken to the oven and roast for another 30 minutes, or until the meat at the thickest part reaches 165 degrees.