Brick Pressed Chicken With Chickpea Conserva Recipes

SMASHED CHICKPEA AND EGGPLANT PRESSED SANDWICH

Steps:

• Arrange an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Preheat a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes. Toss the eggplant rounds evenly with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl; add 1/4 cup olive oil and toss again, making sure the eggplant soaks up all the oil. Remove the hot baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; lay out the eggplant slices in one layer. Roast until soft and golden to dark brown on the underside, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Blot dry by pressing lightly with a paper towel.
• Meanwhile, put the chickpeas in a medium bowl. Mash with a fork or a potato masher until coarsely mashed with lots of large pieces. Add the lemon zest and juice, red onion, mint, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix to combine.
• Assemble the sandwich by slicing the ciabatta loaf in half horizontally and lay the two halves cut-side up. Pull out some of the bread from both halves (save for another use), leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread the hummus on both the bottom and top halves of the bread. On the bottom half, continue layering with half the chickpea mixture, the eggplant, and then the remaining chickpea mixture. Top with the cucumber, pepperoncini, shredded carrot, and the top half of the bread. Wrap tightly in parchment, wax paper or plastic wrap and tie with twine if necessary. Press 3 hours with a brick (see Cook's Note) or cast-iron skillet on top to flatten the sandwich, refrigerated. About 45 minutes before serving, bring the sandwich to room temperature.

PRESSED CHICKEN WITH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• For the salsa verde: Put the parsley, tarragon, cornichons, garlic, anchovies, vinegar, capers and some salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop the herbs. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil to make a thick but pourable sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
• For the pressed chicken: Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-low.
• Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Line up the breasts skin-side down on the grill and lay a piece of foil on top to cover; do the same with the thighs. Set a heavy skillet on top of the breasts and a second skillet atop the thighs. Weight each skillet with a foil-wrapped brick. Cover the grill and cook, checking for color once or twice, until the skin is deep golden-brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bricks, skillets and foil and set aside. Flip the chicken, cover the grill and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, another 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.
• Remove the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut each breast through the bone into 3 or 4 pieces and transfer to a platter along with the whole thighs. Drizzle the chicken with some salsa verde. Serve the remaining salsa verde on the side.

CHICKEN AND CHICKPEA CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until rendered but not crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, poblano, garlic and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and just start to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cumin and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Meanwhile, transfer the tomatoes and their juices to a medium bowl. Using your hands, gently crushed the tomatoes into chunks. Add the tomatoes, stock and chipotles to the pan and bring to a simmer.
• Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken. Coarsely chop or shred the meat. Stir the chicken and chickpeas into the pan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring gently, until the chicken and chickpeas are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season the chili with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with the cheese.