Have you ever heard about chicken under a brick? And what is brick chicken? Basically, it is just another method of grilling a chicken. Still, it’s been gaining in popularity lately, and those who’ve tried it claim there’s no better way to prepare a grilled chicken. There are various recipes and preparation methods already very popular among Americans; however, there is also a chance you have never heard about this method of brick roasted chicken before. If so, let’s see how to make brick chicken on your own for the first time.
What Is Brick Chicken?
First, let’s start with a quick tip on how to make brick chicken in a way that will allow you to enjoy its taste and aroma to the fullest extent. Simply butter up your chicken, take a brick, cover the brick with aluminum foil, and place it on top of the chicken in such a way that it presses it against the grill bars. There’s no need to purchase any special equipment, and you will find that the chicken will grill much more evenly. As you can see, the whole spiel with the chicken under a brick is simply using the brick to improve the grilling process.
Chicken Under a Brick Recipes
Now that you know what brick chicken is let’s look at how to make brick chicken in different ways on your own.
Basic Brick Chicken Recipe
This is a cheap and simple recipe for those who wish to try chicken under a brick before experimenting more with it.
Ingredients:
- 1 rinsed, dried, and split chicken (weighing ca 4 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 ½ tablespoon of peeled and chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin oil
- 1 lemon (cut into quarters)
- Salt and pepper to your taste
How to prepare
Place the chicken on a cutting board and use your hands to make it as flat as possible. Mix rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic, and one tablespoon of the extra virgin oil; then, rub it all over the chicken and under the skin. If you have enough time, place it in a refrigerator for at least a few hours.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit / 260 degrees Celsius. Place a big, ovenproof skillet inside and preheat for 3-4 minutes. Put the remaining oil in a pan and preheat for 20-30 seconds.
Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down. Wrap one or two bricks in aluminum foil and weigh them on the chicken. This will cause the chicken to flatten even further.
Cook in medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes, then transfer to an oven and roast for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and remove the bricks; turn the chicken over and roast for a further 10-15 minutes. Serve hot, with lemon wedges. And voile – your brick roasted chicken is done!
Pollo al Mattone Brick Chicken
Are you looking for something a bit fancier? This is one of the most popular chickens under a brick recipe with an Italian twist.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 30 of lemon juice with zest
- 1 teaspoon pepper flakes
- minced rosemary sprig needles
- 8 finely minced sage leafs
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 chicken (weighing ca 4 pounds)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
- cooking spray
How to prepare
Mix lemon juice and zest, pepper flakes, sage leaves, garlic, and rosemary together.
Remove the backbone, flatten the chicken pieces and transfer it to a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Add the marinade, rub it over the chicken and cover the dish with plastic. Refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, scrape the marinade off the chicken. Use some cooking spray to grease the interior of the roasting pan. Lay chicken pieces inside flat, skin side up.
Grease the bottom of the bricks with the cooking spray, then place them over the chicken in such a way that they are in contact with both the breasts and the legs. The bricks should cover all pieces of chicken fully.
Place in the oven and cook at a temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit / 65 degrees Celcius, for 30 minutes or so. After this, take your brick roasted chicken out of the oven and remove the bricks. Carve the chicken and serve with lemon wedges, drizzling the chicken with fresh olive oil beforehand.
Quick Brick Chicken
If you’re in a hurry, you can try one of the fastest chicken under brick recipes.
Ingredients:
- 1 chicken
- 1 pinch Herbs de Provence
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
How to prepare
Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit / 215 degrees Celcius. Remove the chicken’s backbone, cut through the breastbone from the inside. Chicken should fold out like a book.
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Herbs de Provence. Leave the chicken alone for 15-25 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. Next, season the skin side of the chicken again.
Heat an oven-proof skillet until very hot. Place chicken pieces inside, skin side down, and cover them with bricks—Roast the chicken like this for half an hour. Then, remove the bricks, turn the chicken over, and roast for another 10-20 minutes. Lastly, broil the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes.
If you want to see what’s all the hype about chicken under a brick without trying to make it on your own first, we invite you to our Miami restaurant Glass and Vine to have a taste. If you’re looking for some peace and quiet with a delectable menu to help you unwind, you can’t go wrong with an outdoor restaurant in Coconut Grove. That said, we at Glass and Vine restaurant will welcome you to the intimate secret garden by the sea where you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your meal to the fullest.
