Chicken Under a Brick
- 1 whole fryer chicken, about 3 pounds
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
- 3 to 4 sprigs thyme leaves, leaves picked, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 2 bricks, wrapped in heavy foil
- Remove first 2 wing joints, backbone, and breastbone from chicken (or have your butcher do this).
- Rinse chicken well and pat dry; place in a container just large enough to hold it, skin side down.
- Pour lemon juice over chicken and turn over completely to coat both sides.
- Finely mince rosemary, thyme, and garlic together on a cutting board with the salt.
- Transfer to a small bowl or measuring cup and add paprika.
- Pour in olive oil and mix well.
- Pour half of mixture over chicken in container, rubbing it into meat.
- Turn chicken over, skin side up, and smear remaining herb mixture over and under the skin.
- Cover and refrigerate in marinade, skin side up, for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Remove chicken from refrigerator about 1 hour before cooking so it can come to room temperature.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over a high flame until hot; add a film of olive oil, put chicken in skin side down and immediately place 2 foil-covered bricks on top, pressing down to flatten the chicken.
- Let cook, undisturbed, until skin side is crispy (about 20 minutes) then remove bricks, turn chicken over, and replace bricks.
- Continue cooking on other side until meat in thigh is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more.
- To serve, cut into leg and breast portions.
fryer chicken, lemon, rosemary, thyme, clove garlic, kosher salt, paprika, olive oil, bricks
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chicken-under-a-brick-recipe.html (may not work)