Chef Johns Chicken Under A Brick Recipes

JONATHAN WAXMAN'S ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the chicken in hot water and dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, cut out the backbone of the chicken and remove any fat. Then, using a heavy chef's knife, cut out the breastbone. Season the two halves with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Dab an earthenware or metal baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place the chicken halves inside it, skin side up. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the lemon in half and place the halves, cut side down, next to the chicken in the baking dish. Roast for 35 minutes, basting every 8 minutes. Rotate the pan during basting to allow for even cooking. The chicken is done when the juices from the thigh run clear (about 165 degrees).
• Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. Rinse capers in cold water, then drain. Soak anchovies in cold water for 5 minutes, then pat dry and remove the bones. Using a mortar and pestle (or a small mixer if you are in a hurry), smash the capers, anchovies and garlic with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add all the herbs and remaining olive oil. (The mixture should be chunky, not oily.) Season with sea salt. Serve the chicken topped with the salsa verde, and garnish with the roasted lemon.

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.

ROSEMARY-GARLIC CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Using poultry shears, cut along either side of the chicken's backbone and completely remove
• Open it up, turn it over and press down on breastbone to crack and flatten
• This is called spatchcocking a chicken
• Season the chicken on each side liberally with salt and store uncovered in shallow dish on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator overnight
• Preheat oven to 475°F
• Wrap a brick with foil
• Loosen skin from the back of the chicken under breasts and thighs/legs
• Make a paste of garlic, salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, chopped rosemary, lemon zest and EVOO
• Using your fingers, spread the mixture under skin
• Heat a large, cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat
• Coat chicken skin with olive oil and place the chicken, skin-side down in the pan and top with the foil-wrapped brick
• Cook 3 minutes then transfer skillet to oven and roast for 15 minutes
• Remove brick and turn bird, add halved lemons to pan and a big splash of white wine
• Roast 10 minutes more then remove chicken to a cutting board to rest
• Carve chicken and douse with the juice of the caramelized lemon halves
• For the escarole, add a drizzle or two of olive oil in a skillet and sauté the beans and onions until tender-crisp; wilt in escarole
• Season with salt and pepper, and douse with caramelized lemon juice from the chicken
• Serve chicken with escarole and beans alongside

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 WITH HERB GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Combine ingredients in a small bowl, place aside.
• PREHEAT the oven to 500°F.
• Combine 1 tbsp. Olive oil and salt and pepper together in a bowl. Place the whole chicken on a cutting board, skin side down. Using your hands, press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten the breast. Brush the chicken on both sides with the olive oil mixture.
• Get an ovenproof large skillet hot (nonstick if possible) to hold the flattened chicken over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, place remaining olive oil in the pan and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up.
• Put the chicken in a large skillet, skin side down; weigh it with another skillet, or have one or two bricks wrapped in aluminum foil. What you are trying to do is flatten the chicken by adding weight evenly over the chicken surface.
• Now continue cooking over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then move chicken to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Remove the pan out of the oven along with the weights; turn the chicken over, continue roasting 10-15 minutes more on the other side, or until the juices run clear or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F.

STUFFED CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500F
• Heat a small skillet over medium heat and melt butter
• Add garlic and stir 2 minutes
• Add breadcrumbs and toast to golden
• Remove from heat and let cool in the bowl of a food processor
• Once cool, add hazelnuts and pulse to finely chop nuts and combine with breadcrumbs
• Add cress or arugula and season with nutmeg
• Add Parm, thyme, lemon zest and about 1/3 cup EVOO to food processor (count to 6 while pouring it in a slow stream)
• Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet or other large, heavy, oven-proof pan over medium-high heat
• Loosen skin of the chicken over breast meat, thighs and legs, and stuff with the breadcrumb mixture -- be careful not to rip the skin
• Season the chicken liberally on both sides with salt and pepper
• When cast iron pan is hot and water splashed on surface dances, add a couple tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan
• When oil smokes, about 30 seconds, add chicken, skin side down and weigh it down with the brick or another heavy pan weighted with dry beans
• Brown 5-6 minutes then transfer to oven and roast 12-15 minutes
• Flip chicken and roast 20 minutes more, uncovered and skin-side up
• Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes, douse with lemon juice
• Carve and serve alone with crusty bread or with Rice Pilaf and Roasted Onions
• Serve with Roasted Onions and Rice Pilaf alongside