Chicken Grilled Under Bricks
- 2 large whole, boneless chicken breasts (12 to 16 ounces each), or 4 half breasts,
- (each half 6 to 8 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Tomato Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- You'll also need:
- 4 bricks, each wrapped in aluminum foil
- Oak chunks for building the fire, or 2 cups wood chips (preferably oak), soaked for 1
- hour in cold water to cover, then drained
- If using whole breasts, cut each in half. Trim any excess fat off the chicken breasts and discard. Rinse breasts under cold water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the breasts on both sides with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle the breasts with the garlic and rosemary, patting them on with your fingers. Arrange breasts in a nonreactive baking dish. Pour lemon juice and oil over them and let marinate in refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning several times.
- Set up grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. use soaked wood chips for smoke. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat until you see smoke.
- When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the chicken breasts on the hot grate, all facing the same direction, at a 45 degree angle to the bars of the grate. Place a brick on top of each. Grill the breasts until cooked, 4 to 6 minutes per side, rotating the breasts 90 degrees after 2 minutes on each side to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks. To test for doneness, poke a breast in the thickest part with your finger. It should feel firm to the touch.
- Sub-Recipe:
- TOMATO VINAIGRETTE
- 2 T red wine vinegar
- 2 T hot water
- 1/2 t kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- 1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, finely minced
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 ripe plum tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
- Combine the vinegar, water, 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t pepper in a small bowl and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Add the oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly to make an emulsified sauce. Whisk in shallot, garlic, and tomato.
- Adjust seasoning if necessary. Let stand for at least 10 minutes (and up to 4 hours)before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
chicken breasts, coarse, hot red pepper, garlic, rosemary, lemon, extravirgin olive oil, tomato vinaigrette, also, bricks, fire, hour
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/chicken-grilled-under-bricks-50041386 (may not work)