Pollo Al Mattone — chicken under a brick. Delicious and crispy! We’ve got greens and beans and cornbread and of course, the chicken under a brick!
Make with Chard and Kale Agro Dolce and Salt n Pepper Beans for the perfect meal!
Recipe featured on Rachael Ray in Tuscany.
Heat oven to 375 F with rack at center of oven. Wrap 2 bricks with foil.
Loosen the skin of the chicken all over.
Combine butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Spread butter under the chicken skin evenly over breasts and dark meat. Arrange the sage leaves under the skin all around the chicken.
Preheat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat and spray with a little oil.
Season the outside of the chicken on both sides with a spicy seasoning blend of your choice and a little bit of poultry seasoning. Spray the chicken skin with a little oil. Place chicken in the preheated pan with skin side down and press the chicken with the bricks, 1 over each breast. Place lemon cut side down into the pan next to the chicken. Cook chicken until the skin is well browned and golden. Then flip over and place bricks back on top of the chicken and transfer to the oven. Cook until the internal temperature is 165 F, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest. Cut into 8 portions, halve the breast across into 2 pieces each and separate the drummers from thighs. Squeeze the charred lemon over the chicken to serve.
