Brick Chicken
Brick Chicken
This is one of our favorite dishes, simple to make, tastes great and makes a good chicken salad if there is any left the next day.
Brick Chicken
1 Whole chicken, brined for 2 hours in solution of 1 cup kosher salt, 1 smashed garlic clove, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary in one gallon cold water.
1 lemon cut in half
salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, 2 tablespoons softened butter all mixed together
2 bricks covered with aluminum foil or 1 large paving stone covered in foil
To do this indoors use a heavy large (cast iron if you have it) frying pan. Remove the chicken from the brine and drain it well, turn the chicken back side up and with a pair of poultry shears cut the back bone out on either side of the ribs, remove and either save it for making stock or discard it. Open the chicken out with the breast and legs facing up toward you and proceed to press down on the breast bone to flatten it. Twist and turn the wing tips up and flatten out the whole chicken as flat as you can get it. Slide your hand under the skin along each side of the breast and rub the butter along the breast meat, lay the skin down and work the butter as far down into the leg area as you can, be careful not to tear the skin.
Place the skillet over medium heat and let it get hot for about 5 minutes, when it is hot brush it with a thin coating of oil and carefully place the chicken skin side down into the pan. Cover the chicken with the bricks, pressing down so the skin makes contact with the pan. Lower the heat to medium low and allow the chicken to cook for 8-10 minutes without disturbing it. At the end of 8 minutes remove the bricks and carefully check the underside to see that the skin is well browned and crisp, if it is then with tongs carefully turn the chicken over. Replace the bricks and let this side cook for another 10 minutes. Check the temp with a digital thermometer and when it registers 160 degrees remove the chicken to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes, the temp should rise to a little over 165 degrees during the resting period. Cut chicken into serving pieces and enjoy. Squeeze the lemon halves over the chicken if you like. We had this with simple home fried potatoes and onions.
Brick Chicken