One of my earliest blog posts was "Chicken under a brick," a flattened chicken grilled under a brick. The significance of the brick is only being heavy, to ensure the uniform thickness of chicken. Once the chicken is grilled under such heavy object, with the skin well-browned, its cooking process is finished in hot oven. The following recipe is an attempt to revisit both my
aunt's chicken,
and my own
chicken under a brick. My aunt's vinegar/lime marinating process tenderizes and deeply flavors the flesh, a technique which suits well with the two stage cooking method.
Ingredients:
1 medium chicken
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP granulated garlic
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup apple vinegar
3 dried chilies (optional)
Finley chop one of the rosemary sprigs; to assist the chopping, granulated garlic may be added for extra friction. Mix the salt with chopped rosemary/garlic mixture. Rub the mixture underneath the skin. Finely slice the onion.
To a bag, add the chicken, onion slices, chilies, vinegar, and lime juice. In case the chicken is not fully submerged, add enough water to cover the empty space. Brine overnight.
The next day, remove the chicken from brine. Cut off the back bone and flatten the bird (i.e. spatchcock). It is vitally important to temper the bird to the room temperature, by letting it sit on the counter for at least an hour. Set a thick pan on medium high heat, making sure it gets hot. Place the chicken in the pan (skin-side-down). Put a heavy object (my pot, filled with water, symbolized the missing brick) and grill for 15~20 minutes. Do not disturb the chicken. Preheat the oven on 375 F (~ 190 C), by turning it on as soon as you start grilling the chicken.
Cook in the oven (skin-side-up) for 20~30 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 165 F (~74 C).
Served with Persian style lentil rice.
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