Chicken Under a Brick
Author: 
Type: Main
Prep time: 
Cooking time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large (~ 2 kg) chicken
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves, plus 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh garlic
  • 6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons sweet butter
  • 1 lemon, quartered
Instructions
  1. Butterfly split the chicken.
  2. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, garlic
  3. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and massage this all over the poor chicken
  4. Tuck some of it under the skin as well
  5. Allow to marinate, if time permits, for up to a day, refrigerated of course
  6. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  7. Preheat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
  8. Press the rosemary sprigs into the skin of the chicken.
  9. Put the butter and remaining olive oil in the pan and wait a minute for it to heat up.
  10. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, along with pieces of rosemary and garlic.
  11. Weight the chicken with another skillet or use a flat pot cover and a couple of bricks or rocks.
  12. The basic idea is to flatten the chicken by applying a fair amount of weight evenly over its surface.
  13. Cook over medium-high to high heat for 10 minutes; transfer, still weighted, to the oven.
  14. Roast for 25 minutes more.
  15. Take the chicken from the oven and remove the weight
  16. Turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast 25 minutes more.
  17. Serve hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.
Notes
This recipe originated in Lucca, Italy, it should always be made with the best olive oil available. I weight the chickens with a cast-iron pan and a couple of big rocks. The only problem is that handling the hot, heavy pan. This requires strength, so use both hands. This is the simplest and best method for producing a beautiful, crisp-skinned bird I specify rosemary here, which is delicious. But most herbs are equally wonderful. Try savory (in similar quantity); parsley, basil, chervil, chives (use twice as much) or tarragon, marjoram, or thyme (use half as much) Carbs: Zero carbs.
Recipe by at http://trotsig.com/chicken-under-a-brick/