Chef John's Chicken Under a Brick | Daily Dine

Chef John's Chicken Under a Brick

This chicken under a brick recipe involves using a foil-wrapped brick to press herbed chicken against a hot cast iron skillet in this Chef John recipe.

View original recipe on allrecipes.com

dinneritalian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 70 minutes

Servings: 6

Nutritional Information

Calories:303 kcal

Cholesterol:133 mg

Fat:13 g

Protein:43 g

Saturated Fat:3 g

Sodium:154 mg

Unsaturated Fat:0 g

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

Instructions

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Step 2
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.
Step 3
Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle herbes de Provence on the inside. Let sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes; pat dry with paper towels. Brush skin-side of chicken with oil and season again with salt and black pepper.
Step 4
Heat an ovenproof cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Place chicken, skin-side down, in the hot skillet and place bricks evenly on top to weigh down chicken.
Step 5
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).
Step 6
Preheat the oven's broiler and broil chicken until skin is crispy and golden, 1 to 3 minutes.

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