The method for cooking a chicken under a brick, the Cuban pollo a la plancha or the Italian pollo al mattone, turns out a seriously delicious chicken. Not having a brick to cook with, I’ve only ever had it at a restaurant and have always been in heaven with the crispy skin, the juicy, tender meat. It’s just so good. And it always seemed to me to be one of those secret, chef-y dishes that you just couldn’t hope to replicate at home. But it turns out that there’s a simple recipe to make Chicken Under a Brick that makes the most exquisite roast chicken that you don’t need a brick for.
The most important part of this seriously easy recipe is done before you get home. Buy an organic chicken and have your butcher cut it in half and de-bone it for you. Request that the first joint of the wing be clipped off and the only bone left in the chicken is the one that attaches the wing to the breast meat. This is so good that it’s definitely dinner party material but also easy enough to make after work.
Brickless Chicken Under a Brick adapted from The Red Cat
- boned, halved 3-4 lb organic chicken
- 2 Tbs canola oil
- salt and pepper.
1 – Pre-heat oven to 450
2 – Heat a wide, deep, heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of canola oil and get it nice and hot. Place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, making sure each piece lies flat and all skin is in contact with the oil. Cook until skin is golden (this took me 5 minutes). Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until both white and dark meat run clear when pierced by a sharp, thin-bladed knife.
And that’s it! Be prepared for some seriously tasty chicken. I served it with a salad and broccoli rabe but really anything your in the mood for veg-wise would work with this. Try it! So much yum for so little work.
I can’t pass a municipal roadworks site without scavenging for NYC cobblestones. As a result, over the years I have collected quite a few. I will happily part with one if you can find space for it in the kitchen.
Ah, that would be amazing. I’d love a brick!
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Bogus. No herbs, no s&p. 25 min. cooking? what kind of recipe is this? A 3-4lb chicken takes at least 1 hour cooking in the oven. Even if it is completely boned ( and rendered flavorless) it will take at. least 40 min. Seek out recipes on the web for chicken under a brick. Stove top is the easiest, with delicious herbs and garlic seasonings. Less then one hour for a semi-deboned chicken. And it is the easiest thing to do with a pair of poultry shears. Brown on one side 15-20 minutes, turn, brown on other side side for 15-20 minutes and done!