Chicken Under a Brick

• 1/4 cup crushed bay leaf
• 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup thyme
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 2 whole boneless chicken breasts, skin on, split into 2 pieces each
• Lemon wedges (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a bowl, mix all spice mixture ingredients.
3. Dust chicken with spice mix (store extra in a glass jar); sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Coat a cast-iron frying pan or ovenproof saute pan with cooking spray.
5. Heat pan over medium-high heat 1 minute.
6. Place chicken skin side down in the pan.
7. Rest a heavy weight such as a foil-wrapped brick on top.
8. (Or use another heavy ovenproof skillet or pan to keep skin of chicken in contact with the hot pan.)
9. Lower heat; cook 6 minutes.
10. Put the pan, weight and all, in the oven and cook 8 minutes more.
11. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired, and asparagus or a seasonal green.

bay leaf, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, vegetableoil cooking spray, chicken breasts, lemon wedges

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-under-a-brick-230200 (may not work)