Pollo al Mattone (Italian Roast Chicken Under a Brick)

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 8 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Juice and zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons; 30ml juice), zest finely minced, plus lemon wedges for serving

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Needles from one 8-inch rosemary sprig, finely minced

Leaves from 1 large sage sprig (about 8 leaves), finely minced

4 medium cloves garlic, finely minced

One 4- to 5-pound (1.8 to 2.3kg) chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray, such as Pam, or other neutral oil, for greasing the equipment

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice and zest, red pepper flakes, rosemary, sage, and garlic.

Using sharp kitchen shears or poultry shears, remove spine from chicken (reserve spine for stock or another use). Flatten chicken by placing it skin side up on a cutting board and applying firm pressure to the breastbone. Transfer to a baking dish, season all over with salt and pepper, add marinade, and rub all over chicken. Cover dish with plastic. Marinate, refrigerated, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Preheat oven, along with all cooking equipment for whichever setup you're using, including skillets, foil-wrapped bricks, chicken press, barbell weight, et cetera (see the "Special Equipment" section below for more info), to 475°F (245°C).

Scrape marinade and minced aromatics off chicken as best you can. Using cooking spray or oil, grease the interior of the bottom skillet/roasting vessel. Lay chicken down in skillet, skin side up, arranging it so that it lies flat.

Using cooking spray or oil, grease the bottom of the top weight. (Depending on your setup, this could be one side of the foil-wrapped bricks, or the bottom of the second skillet or chicken-press weight.) Press the top weight down on the chicken, making sure it evenly covers it and is in contact with both the breast and the legs.

Transfer to oven and cook until thickest part of breast, close to bone, registers 150°F (66°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven, remove top weight, and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Carve and serve with lemon wedges, drizzling fresh olive oil over chicken at the table.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: Serves 4
• Calories: 348 kcal
• Total Fat: 25 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 107 mg
• Sodium: 710 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0 g
• Total Sugars: 0 g
• Protein: 27 g