Xochipillis Chicken Under A Brick Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

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

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the cumin, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, garlic, oregano and lemon zest and juice. Drizzle in olive oil until the mixture becomes a paste. Place one half of the chicken into a large bowl (reserve the other half chicken for another use) and massage with the spice mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature (or up to 12 hours in the fridge; if refrigerating the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator 45 minutes to 1 hour before cooking to let the chicken come to room temperature).
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay the marinated chicken in the pan, skin-side down. Oil the bottom of another large saute pan, lay it on top of the chicken and place bricks or weights in the second saute pan. Cook the chicken until the skin starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes.
• Remove the pans from the oven and remove the weights and top pan. At this point the skin should be lovely and dark brown. Check the chicken for doneness; it should be cooked through but still succulent and juicy. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter.
• Remove the excess fat from the pan and add the white wine. Cook over high heat until the wine has reduced by more than half. Add the chicken stock, season with salt and reduce by half.
• Spoon the juices over the chicken and sprinkle with chives.

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Spatchcock the chicken: Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone from the chicken. Lay the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board and use a large knife to cut through the breastbone. Push the chicken down to flatten it out. Cut the wings off at the third joint (at the wing tip). Now locate the thigh bone. Use a small and sharp knife to cut the flesh off away from the bone, working all the way down to the joint. Once you're at the joint, bend the thigh bone back until you hear it pop and use your knife again to help remove the thigh bone completely. Repeat with the remaining thigh bone.
• Turn the chicken over, blot it dry and refrigerate on a large plate or baking sheet, uncovered, overnight to dry out the skin (this will help make it extra crispy). If you have to skip this step, then dry the chicken as best you can with paper towels and refrigerate, uncovered, for as long as you can.
• Sprinkle the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large 12-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Lay the chicken, skin-side down, in the skillet. Add the garlic and herbs to the skillet. Now use either 2 bricks wrapped in foil or another heavy, slightly smaller skillet filled with large cans (tomato cans work nicely) directly on top of the chicken. Cook, leaving the chicken mostly undisturbed, checking every once in a while to make sure the skin is browning evenly and not getting too dark too quickly, and adjusting the heat as needed, until almost all of the meat is white (except for the very top of the breast) and the skin is a deep golden brown and crispy, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the bricks or weighted skillet and turn the chicken over using tongs and/or a spatula, being careful not to rip the skin. Continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes more.
• Remove the chicken and let rest for a few minutes before carving. Serve with lemon wedges.

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Place the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down, and using your hands, press down hard to make it as flat as possible. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and rub this all over the chicken. Tuck some of the mixture under the skin as well. If time permits, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to a day (even 20 minutes of marinating boosts the flavor).
• When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Preheat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Press rosemary sprigs, if using, into the skin side of the chicken. Put remaining olive oil in the pan and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up.
• Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, along with any remaining pieces of rosemary and garlic; weight it with another skillet or with one or two bricks or rocks, wrapped in aluminum foil. The idea is to flatten the chicken by applying weight evenly over its surface.
• Cook over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and remove the weights; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast 10 minutes more, or until done (large chickens may take an additional 5 minutes or so). Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK IN A HURRY

Steps:

• Set a large piece of foil and a heavy skillet aside for weighing down chicken. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Pour 1 Tbsp. oil into a medium cast-iron skillet. Arrange chicken thighs in pan skin side down (make sure they don't overlap) and set pan over medium-high. Place foil over chicken, then set skillet on top. Cook chicken, checking halfway through to make sure skin isn't taking on color too quickly and reducing heat to medium if needed, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and flesh is almost completely cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine anchovy, garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Mix in vinegar, mustard, red pepper flakes, and remaining 4 Tbsp. oil, then scallions. Taste and season pesto verde with more salt if needed.
• Remove top skillet and check chicken. There should be only a thin band of medium-rare flesh on the thickest part of thighs. Using a thin spatula, release chicken skin from pan and turn thighs over. Remove pan from heat and let chicken sit to finish cooking through, about 1 minute.
• Spoon some pesto verde onto a platter. Top with chicken, arranging skin side up, and spoon more pesto over (but don't cover up all that beautiful skin!).

GRILLED CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Remove the backbone and 1 inch of the breast bone with kitchen shears. Remove the wing tips and any large pockets of fat near the tail. Flip the bird over and use the heal of your hand to flatten the chicken. Rub the skin with oil and lightly season with salt and pepper.
• Cut 2 pieces of heavy duty aluminum to roughly 20 inches long each. Wrap each brick with foil, shiny-side out. Lightly oil the grill and add the bricks.
• Lightly oil the grate of the grill and add the bricks. Preheat the grill to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and maintain the temperature until bricks are hot.
• Turn off the middle burner and place the chicken over that area, flesh side down, on indirect heat. Place the bricks on the chicken and close the lid of the grill.
• Grill for 40 minutes. Remove the bricks, turn the chicken, and continue grilling until the skin is crispy, 5 to 10 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.

CHICKENS UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Rinse chickens inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Butterfly the chickens by removing the spine, flattening the birds with your hand and removing the breast bone with a small sharp knife or your fingers. Then firmly but gently pound them flat with the side of a cleaver or a small iron skillet. Remove and discard the wing tips and fold the wings back. Tuck the legs into the skin surrounding the vent by making neat slits at the point where the leg end can easily be inserted.
• Heat a stove-top grill large enough to cover two burners and brush the chickens very lightly with oil. Add salt and pepper. When the grill is hot, reduce the flame to medium and lay the chickens skin side down on the grill above each burner. Move the chickens gently with tongs until they begin to sear, to be sure they don't stick to the grill. Cover each with a heavy, flat-bottomed object large enough to cover the entire chicken. You can use 8-quart stockpots or their equivalent filled with water, 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillets or flat bricks (covered with foil).
• In about 5 or 6 minutes the chicken will begin to brown. If not, raise the flame. If the chickens have begun to burn, turn them over, replace the weights and reduce the flame. At this stage you will be making your own decision based on empirical data. The result should be a rich mahogany finish and an intense chicken flavor.

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

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

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry. Rinse and dry the chicken halves again. Combine the thyme, rosemary, garlic, and olive oil in a large zip-top bag or mixing bowl. Add the chicken halves. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
• Heat the oven to 450°F Wrap two bricks in a couple of layers of foil. (If you don't have bricks, use heavy rocks, 2-lb. weights, or another heavy pan weighed down with cans.) Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, let the excess marinade drain off, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set a large cast-iron or other heavy ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add just enough oil to lightly film the pan. Put the chicken halves, skin side down, in the pan and immediately put a brick on top of each half. Turn the heat to medium and cook (without moving the chicken) until the skin is a deep golden brown (check with a spatula) and the chicken is cooked about halfway through, 20 to 25 minute Remove the bricks, turn the chicken halves over, and put the pan in the hot oven to finish roasting the chicken until a thermometer registers at least 165°F, another 20 to 25 minute.

XOCHIPILLI'S CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Open chicken and place on a work surface, skin side up. Using your palms, firmly press on breastbone to flatten the breast. Season chicken all over with 1 tablespoons salt, 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, and cayenne. Place in a baking dish; rub with 1 tablespoons oil, sprinkle with lemon zest, and scatter rosemary over. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Build a medium-low fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium. Place chicken, skin side down, on grill and place a foil wrapped brick or heavy skillet on top of chicken to weigh it down. (This will expose more skin to direct heat, making it crispy; the chicken will also cook faster.) Cook until skin is crispy and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Using tongs, set brick aside. Turn chicken, cover grill, and cook for 10 more minutes. Continue cooking and turning chicken every 10 minutes, covering grill between turns, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 50 minutes total. Transfer to a carving board; let chicken rest for 10-20 minutes. (Resting will make for juicier meat.) Transfer to a carving board; let chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.
• While chicken rests, add more coals to fire if necessary to increase heat to medium, or heat gas grill to medium-high. Season chile, bell pepper, and onion with salt and pepper. Grill (or use a grill basket) over medium heat, turning occasionally, until softened and charred in spots, about 12 minutes. Transfer onion to a medium bowl. Transfer chiles and peppers to a work surface and cut lengthwise into 1-inch slices. Add to bowl with onion. Add 1/4 cup vinegar to vegetables and toss to coat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until soft but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add basil and stir to wilt. Add basil mixture to bowl with onion. Season vegetables to taste with salt and more vinegar, if desired.
• Rub cut side of avocados with remaining 1 tablespoons oil, season with salt, and sprinkle with chili powder. Grill, cut side down, until avocado is gently warmed and flesh is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Serve chicken with vegetables and avocados.