This is a picture of the Brick Chicken I made for our Annual Christmas feast (pic courtesy of Al). I love it because it involves spatchcocking a chicken.
Why do I love spatchcocking so much? First, it sounds cool. Look into the nearest mirror and say "I'm gonna spatchcock this chicken!" Feels good, doesn't it? Second, you get to keep the good stuff (spines, ribs, and various other bones) for homemade chicken stock. More on stock at a later date.
Back to the Brick Chicken: After I spatchcock (yeah!), I marinate the chicken in herbs, lemon, olive oil, and S&P (make sure to get it mostly under the skin to prevent burning). Then after a few hours of marinating, pull it out to get it back a little closer to room temp. Heat the grill to HIGH and place the bricks on the grill to preheat (wrapped in foil, no one likes dirt and moss on their chicken).
After they are good and hot, place the chicken skin down on the grill and place the bricks on top to ensure even cooking. Flip them when you get a good crisp skin and turn the heat down to medium. I leave them on until they reach an internal temp in the thigh of about 160-165 deg F. Why the thigh? Because I say so (it also takes the longest to cook).
Take the chicken off and rest it for at least 10 minutes. I prefer in an insulated cooler. The chicken stays hot and the steam helps it cook through fully while keeping it extra juicy. If you do not rest the chicken, all of the juices will run out and you will be mocked by your dinner guests, FOREVER. Seriously though, it will not be as juicy on the inside and it will make that skin soggy after you spent so much time getting it deliciously crispy.
I cut a whole chicken into 8 pieces (2 drums, 2 thighs, 2 breasts cut in half).
You can also cook this same recipe in a large cast iron skillet, if you don't have smoke detectors in your house.
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ReplyDeleteSpatchcocking is my new favourite word . . .
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