Best The Brick Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Chef John's Chicken Under a Brick image

You should use a big cast iron pan for this, but it will also work in a high-quality, heavy-duty stainless steel pan, or other oven-proof skillet. The key is to heat it very well before the chicken goes in. Other than that, there's really no way to screw it up, unless you under or overcook it, which won't happen, since you're going to check it with the thermometer.

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 1h10m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

1 (3 1/2) pound whole chicken, wings removed
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch herbes de Provence, or to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed
2 heavy clay bricks, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Use kitchen shears to cut down both sides of the backbone. Remove backbone and discard. Cut through breastbone from the inside until chicken folds out like a book and lays flat.
Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper, and sprinkle herbes de Provence on the inside. Let chicken sit for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature; pat dry with paper towels. Brush skin-side of chicken with oil and season again with salt and black pepper.
Heat an oven-proof cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Place chicken, skin-side down, in hot skillet and place bricks evenly on top to weigh down chicken.
Roast chicken in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove bricks, turn chicken over, and continue roasting until juices run clear and meat is no longer pink at the bone, 5 to 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
Preheat the oven's broiler and broil the chicken until skin is crispy and golden, 1 to 3 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 302.9 calories, Cholesterol 132.5 mg, Fat 13.3 g, Protein 43.1 g, SaturatedFat 3.4 g, Sodium 153.8 mg

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Chicken Under a Brick image

It isn't easy to cook chicken so that its skin is crisp and its interior juicy. Grilling, roasting and sauteing all have their problems. But there is an effective and easy method for getting it right, using two ovenproof skillets. A split chicken is placed in one of them, skin side down. The other skillet goes on top as a weight, which helps retain moisture and insures thorough browning. A couple of clean rocks or bricks can be used instead of the second skillet. (If the weight of choice doesn't seem terribly pristine, it can be wrapped in foil.)

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories easy, lunch, main course

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

1 whole 3- to 4-pound chicken, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed, dried and split, backbone removed
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon peeled and coarsely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, optional
1 lemon, cut into quarters

Steps:

Place the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down, and using your hands, press down hard to make it as flat as possible. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and rub this all over the chicken. Tuck some of the mixture under the skin as well. If time permits, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to a day (even 20 minutes of marinating boosts the flavor).
When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Preheat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Press rosemary sprigs, if using, into the skin side of the chicken. Put remaining olive oil in the pan and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up.
Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, along with any remaining pieces of rosemary and garlic; weight it with another skillet or with one or two bricks or rocks, wrapped in aluminum foil. The idea is to flatten the chicken by applying weight evenly over its surface.
Cook over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and remove the weights; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast 10 minutes more, or until done (large chickens may take an additional 5 minutes or so). Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 566, UnsaturatedFat 27 grams, Carbohydrate 3 grams, Fat 42 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 43 grams, SaturatedFat 11 grams, Sodium 593 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams

ROSEMARY BRICKED GRILLED CHICKEN

Rosemary Bricked Grilled Chicken image

Provided by Bobby Flay

Categories main-dish

Time 40m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 (3-pound) chickens, butterflied
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, for garnish

Steps:

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic and rosemary in a large baking dish. Add the chickens and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.
Preheat the grill to medium. Wrap 4 bricks in aluminum foil and set aside. Remove the chickens from the marinade, blot off excess oil, and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the chickens on the grill, skin-side down, and place 2 bricks on top of each chicken. Grill the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, then turn over, and return the bricks to the chickens. Close the cover and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through. Let rest for 10 minutes and cut into quarters. Serve with lemon wedges.