Chicken Al Mattone With Thyme Pesto By Waverly June 10 2010 12 Comments Recipes

POLLO AL MATTONE: CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mince the garlic and parsley and combine with the zest, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Wash the chicken under cold running water and dry. With poultry shears, remove the wing tips, any excess fat, and cut out the backbone. Put them aside for stock. You may want to remove the ribs and breastbone, too. Mix together the marinade ingredients. Lay the chicken flat, skin side up. Stuff the garlic mixture under the skin, place in the marinade, then cover and marinate for a few hours or, even better, overnight. Turn two or three times.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast-iron pan large enough to hold the chicken (I use a 12-inch cast-iron skillet). Place the chicken skin side down and weigh it down with the two clean bricks wrapped in foil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, then place the skillet and bricks in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, after which you'll remove the weights and turn the chicken over, cooking another 10 minutes or so, until done. Cut into serving- sized pieces.

CHICKEN WITH LEMON THYME PESTO

Steps:

• If desired, skin chicken.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• In a food processor or blender combine lemon thyme and pistachio nuts; cover and process or blend with several on/off turns until finely chopped.
• With procesor or blender running, gradually drizzle in oil, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary.
• Stir in freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Set aside.
• For a charcoal grill, arrange medium hot coals around a drip pan.
• Test for medium heat above pan.
• Place chicken, bone side down, on a grill rack over drip pan.
• For gas grill place chicken adjacent to heat source.
• Cover and grill for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (instant read thermometer reads 180°C for breasts or 180°C for thighs and drumsticks), turning chicken and brushing with half the pesto during the last 5 minutes of grillling.
• Reserve remaining pesto for another use.
• Serve with lemon wedges.

CHICKEN AL MATTONE WITH THYME PESTO BY WAVERLY • JUNE 10, 2010 • 12 COMMENTS

Steps:

• To marinate the chicken: Place chicken, skin side up, in a glass baking dish. Press down on the center of the breast to break the sternum. The chicken should lie flat now. Rub it with marinade, making sure to loosen the skin and rub the marinade under the skin as well. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. To grill the chicken: Remove chicken from refrigerator. Drain the marinade and pat the chicken dry. Season it with salt and pepper. Wrap your paving stone in foil (I pulled a cement paving stone out of my garden and washed it off). Prepare your grill. (Note: I threw a few mesquite wood chips onto my grill to give it a little something extra.) Brush your grill rack with a bit of oil. When the fire reaches medium-high heat and you can hold your hand over the grill about 5 seconds, place the chicken skin-side-down on the grill grate. Brush your wrapped paving stone with a little oil and then place it on top of the chicken. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes. Using grilling gloves, very carefully remove the stone. Flip the chicken, replace the stone on top, and grill until chicken is done, about 12 to 15 minutes longer. About five minuets before chicken is done, grill the lemon wedges. Transfer everything to a serving platter. Let chicken rest, covered with foil, for 5 to 10 minutes, and then cut into quarters. For the pesto: Combine parsley, thyme leaves, lemon zest, Parmesan, walnuts, and garlic in a food processor. When finely chopped, add olive oil in a steady stream until pesto is smooth. Season to taste with salt. (Note: this can be done up to 1 week ahead.) Serve grilled chicken with a dollop of pesto and a lemon wedge. Tell your diners to squeeze the lemon over the pesto. Enjoy.