Chicken Under A Brick

[bjcotton]

I have cooked this recipe many times and it is a "Frequent Flyer" at my home. The original recipe came from the cookbook "How To Cook Everything" and I can't remember what the authors name is. It it delicious and moist.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken Under a Brick

Recipe By :Bill Cotton (Adapted from How To Cook Everything)
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:20
Categories : Poultry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 4 pound chicken, trimmed of fat -- rinsed and dried
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary -- minced
2 sprigs rosemary (or more)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic -- chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon canola oil

~Preheat oven to 450F.
~Remove the backbone and split the chicken in half, discard backbone or save for another use.
~Mix together the minced rosemary, salt, garlic, and 1 Tbs of olive oil (more if desired) and rub this all over the chicken. Tuck some of it under the skin as well. Place chicken and remaining rosemary mixture in a resealable plastic bag. Allow to marinate, if time permits, for up to a day, refrigerated.
~Preheat a large ovenproof (cast iron works beautifully) skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Press the rosemary sprigs if you are using them into the skin of the chicken (I lay some sprigs of rosemary in the skillet and put the chicken on top of it). Put the remaining olive oil in the pan and wait a minute for it to heat. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, along with any pieces of rosemary and garlic. Weight the chicken with another skillet or a flat pot cover and a couple of bricks wrapped in foil. The basic idea is to flatten the chicken by applying a fair amount of weight evenly over its surface.
~Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes; transfer, still weighted, to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Take the chicken from the oven and remove the weight; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast, weighted again, for 10 minutes more. To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; it should read 180 to 185F. Serve hot or at room temperature.
NOTE: The whole chicken can be marinated and then roasted if you do not want to go to the trouble of cutting it up, etc.

[bjcotton]

Have any of you tried this? You won't believe how good it is...please for me...you'll thank me

[vannin]

I haven't done it yet Billy, but my intentions are good. I also want to try the chicken on a beer can. I think one of the men will have to do it, it seems so... well...so kind of unfriendly.

[esgunn]

We do the beer can chicken all the time! It is wonderful! Erin

[cjs]

Nope...haven't tried it - yet.

[bjcotton]

You've no idea of how moist and tasty this is until you've tried it.

[Lorraine]

I've made Billy's recipe, and it is great! I used two little chickens rather than the big one. Yum!!! Vannin, you have to try the Beer Butt Chicken. It's so easy, good, and fun!!!

[vannin]

I will Lorraine, I will indeed, next time we have chookie. We sure have enough bricks, one of the chimneys from our previous house is piled up at the back under the fire exit stairs. I guess quail would be a one brick affair. ;Þ

[bjcotton]

It cooks so quickly at those high temperatures that it retains the juices. It's almost too juicy for me, I like the white meat and a little on the dry side

[vannin]

So what have we here, two extrordinarily good good ways to cook the chook. And I have done neither, Oh shame on me. I bow my head, look shiftily to the side, and vow to do better. Yes, I will.