Rubbing the marinade onto only the flesh side puts it in direct contact with the meat and lets the skin get extra-crisp with no fear of burned bits.
Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more
1 3 1/2–4 pound chicken, halved, breast bone removed
8 small shallots, peeled, root end trimmed
Directions
Pulse garlic, mint, oil, and 1 cup parsley in a food processor until very finely chopped; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and spread herb paste over flesh side. Place, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet; chill at least 3 hours (the dryer the skin, the crisper it'll get).
Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Pat chicken dry and place, skin side down, in a large ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron. Set over medium-high heat and cook, undisturbed, until skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add shallots to skillet and transfer to oven. Roast, turning shallots once, 20–25 minutes. Turn skin side up and roast until skin is very crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 160°F, 8–10 minutes longer. Serve chicken with shallots, parsley, and any pan juices.
DO AHEAD: Chicken can be rubbed with herb paste 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
