Chicken Under a Brick with Herb-Roasted Potatoes

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Cooking a butterflied chicken under a brick cooks considerably quicker than a regular roast chicken and produces amazingly crisp skin by keeping the chicken flat, forcing all the skin to make contact with the pan. But after a few trial runs, we noted two big problems: First, the crisp skin often turned soggy as the chicken finished cooking. Second, the chicken’s marinade scorched in the hot pan. With these obstacles in mind, we set out to produce a perfectly cooked butterflied chicken with crisp skin that could be on the table—with some roasted potatoes—in less than an hour.To start, we focused on the cooking method. We found that pounding the butterflied chicken with a mallet instead of pressing it with our hands flattened the chicken evenly, allowing more of the skin to make contact with the pan and turn super crispy. We cooked the chicken skin-side down underneath the bricks until it was golden-brown, then removed the bricks, flipped the bird over, and finished it still in the skillet in a very hot oven. The hot, dry air of the oven ensured that the skin remained crisp and intact as the meat finished cooking through. As for the bricks, we found that heavy cans and a cast-iron pot worked just as well.Finishing the chicken in the oven made it easy to include a flavorful marinade, as well as some accompanying potatoes. We brushed the marinade onto the crisp chicken before moving it to the oven, where the oven’s heat fused the marinade to the skin without ruining its crackling texture and the brief cooking time retained the fresh flavors of the marinade. For the potatoes, we simply threw them into the pan underneath the chicken before it went into the oven. Then, while the chicken rested, we returned the skillet to the oven, where the potatoes finished cooking and picked up some color.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole chicken small, (about 3 lbs), trimmed of excess fat, giblets removed and discarded, chicken patted dry
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon, plus 1 lemon cut into wedges
• 1 ½ pounds Red Bliss potatoes (small), scrubbed, dried, and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

KEY EQUIPMENT

• Kitchen Tongs
• Slotted Spoon
• Nonstick Skillet
• Kitchen Shears

Before You Begin

Instead of two bricks and a rimmed baking sheet, you may use a heavy cast-iron skillet loaded with several cans or a large stockpot partially filled with water. Be careful when removing the pan from the oven, as the handle will be hot.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. TECHNIQUE: BUTTERFLYING A CHICKEN With the breast side down and the tail of the chicken facing you, use poultry shears to cut along the length of one side of the backbone. With breast side still down, turn the neck end to face you, cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it. Turn the chicken breast-side up. Open the chicken on the work surface. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the chicken, then pound it with the flat side of a mallet to a fairly even thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Swirl the skillet to coat evenly with oil. Place the chicken, skin-side down, in the hot pan and reduce the heat to medium. Place the weight (see the note above) on the chicken and cook, checking every 5 minutes or so, until evenly browned, about 25 minutes. (After 20 minutes, the chicken should be fairly crisp and golden; if not, turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook until well browned.)

3. Meanwhile, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, 1½ teaspoons of the thyme, the pepper flakes, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

4. Using tongs, carefully transfer the chicken, skin-side up, to a clean plate. Pour off any accumulated fat in the pan and add the potatoes, sprinkling them with ¼ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and the remaining 1½ teaspoons thyme. Place the chicken, skin-side up, on the potatoes and brush the skin with the reserved thyme-lemon juice mixture.

5. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Return the skillet with the potatoes to the oven and roast until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, leaving the fat behind. Toss the potatoes with the parsley. Cut the chicken into pieces. Serve the chicken and potatoes immediately with the lemon wedges.