The Brick Recipes

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Spatchcock the chicken: Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone from the chicken. Lay the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board and use a large knife to cut through the breastbone. Push the chicken down to flatten it out. Cut the wings off at the third joint (at the wing tip). Now locate the thigh bone. Use a small and sharp knife to cut the flesh off away from the bone, working all the way down to the joint. Once you're at the joint, bend the thigh bone back until you hear it pop and use your knife again to help remove the thigh bone completely. Repeat with the remaining thigh bone.
• Turn the chicken over, blot it dry and refrigerate on a large plate or baking sheet, uncovered, overnight to dry out the skin (this will help make it extra crispy). If you have to skip this step, then dry the chicken as best you can with paper towels and refrigerate, uncovered, for as long as you can.
• Sprinkle the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large 12-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Lay the chicken, skin-side down, in the skillet. Add the garlic and herbs to the skillet. Now use either 2 bricks wrapped in foil or another heavy, slightly smaller skillet filled with large cans (tomato cans work nicely) directly on top of the chicken. Cook, leaving the chicken mostly undisturbed, checking every once in a while to make sure the skin is browning evenly and not getting too dark too quickly, and adjusting the heat as needed, until almost all of the meat is white (except for the very top of the breast) and the skin is a deep golden brown and crispy, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the bricks or weighted skillet and turn the chicken over using tongs and/or a spatula, being careful not to rip the skin. Continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes more.
• Remove the chicken and let rest for a few minutes before carving. Serve with lemon wedges.

THE BRICK BURGER

Steps:

• For the roasted garlic butter:
• 1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until evenly incorporated.
• 2. Melt 3 tablespoons of the roasted garlic butter and set aside for the burgers. Reserve remaining roasted garlic butter for another use (keeps for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator).
• For the donkey sauce:
• 1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until smooth.
• 2. Set aside 4 tablespoons of the donkey sauce for the burgers. Reserve remaining donkey sauce for another use (keeps for up to 6 days in the refrigerator.)
• For the donkey burgers:
• 1. In a small bowl, combine the pickle relish and diced pimientos. Set aside.
• 2. Preheat a grill to hot. Form the ground beef into four 6-ounce patties, each about 4 inches in diameter. Season the patties on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the patties for 4 to 5 minutes, until they have a nice char and blood begins to come to the surface. Flip and cook for 3 minutes on the second side. Remove the burgers from the grill and set aside to cool.
• 3. Lightly brush the cut sides of the buns with the melted roasted garlic butter. Toast the bun halves on the grill until golden and crisp, about 45 seconds per side. Set aside.
• 4. Reduce the grill heat to medium.
• 5. To assemble the burgers, lightly smear 1 tablespoon donkey sauce on the cut side of each bun. Cover the bottom bun with 3 pickle slices and 1 or 2 onion slices. Top with the burger, 1 teaspoon of the relish mixture, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, some sliced ham, and 2 tomato slices. Cover with the top bun halves.
• 6. To finish the burgers, wrap each burger in heavy-duty aluminum foil, forming a tight packet and sealing around the edges. Place the burgers back on the grill and put a brick on top of them (one brick will cover two burgers). Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the brick, flip the packets, place the brick on top, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the grill and let cool slightly. Tear open the foil and serve.
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• 2. Cut enough off the top of the garlic heads to just expose the garlic cloves. Place them on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Wrap up the foil into a tight pouch. Place on a rimmed baking sheet if desired.
• 3. Roast until tender and medium brown in color, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool.
• 4. Squeeze the pulp from the skins and puree in a food processor.
• 5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

CHEF JOHN'S CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Use kitchen shears to cut down both sides of the backbone. Remove backbone and discard. Cut through breastbone from the inside until chicken folds out like a book and lays flat.
• Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper, and sprinkle herbes de Provence on the inside. Let chicken sit for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature; pat dry with paper towels. Brush skin-side of chicken with oil and season again with salt and black pepper.
• Heat an oven-proof cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Place chicken, skin-side down, in hot skillet and place bricks evenly on top to weigh down chicken.
• Roast chicken in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove bricks, turn chicken over, and continue roasting until juices run clear and meat is no longer pink at the bone, 5 to 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Preheat the oven's broiler and broil the chicken until skin is crispy and golden, 1 to 3 minutes.