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Chicken Under a Brick with Herbed Potatoes

Spatchcock chicken is simply a whole chicken that has the backbone removed. It's then flattened, for even cooking. Instead of using a brick, covered in foil, I used my heavy Dutch Oven to flatten the chicken while searing the skin to a beautiful golden brown. Red potatoes are evenly spread out on a pan, and the seared chicken is placed on top-- and then slathered with a marinade of fresh lemon juice, oil and herbs. The end result is moist and flavorful chicken and gorgeous potatoes that are crispy on the outside, and creamy in the middle.
Course main
Cuisine American
Keyword Chicken Under A Brick, Spatchcock Chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

  • Heavy pot, such as a Dutch Oven or a Brick, covered in foil
  • 12" Oven-Proof Non-Stick Skillet (can use a cast-iron skillet)

Ingredients

  • 1 small whole chicken (about 3 lbs), trimmed of excess fat, giblets removed and discarded, chicken patted dry
  • Table salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 teasppn vegetable oil

For the marinade:

  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon plus 1 lemon cut into wedges

For the herb potatoes:

  • 1 ½ pounds Red Bliss potatoes small, scrubbed, dried, and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

  • Instead of two bricks and a rimmed baking sheet, you may use a heavy cast-iron skillet loaded with several cans or a large stockpot partially filled with water. Be careful when removing the pan from the oven, as the handle will be hot.

TECHNIQUE: BUTTERFLYING A CHICKEN:

  • With the breast side down and the tail of the chicken facing you, use poultry shears to cut along the length of one side of the backbone.
    With breast side still down, turn the neck end to face you, cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it.
    Turn the chicken breast-side up. Open the chicken on the work surface.
    Use the palm of your hand to flatten the chicken, then pound it with the flat side of a mallet to a fairly even thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.
    Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke.
    Swirl the skillet to coat evenly with oil.
    Place the chicken, skin-side down, in the hot pan and reduce the heat to medium. Place the weight (see the note above) on the chicken and cook, checking every 5 minutes or so, until evenly browned, about 25 minutes. (After 20 minutes, the chicken should be fairly crisp and golden; if not, turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook until well browned.)

Make the marinade:

  • Meanwhile, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, 1½ teaspoons of the thyme, the pepper flakes, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Remove the seared chicken:

  • Using tongs, carefully transfer the chicken, skin-side up, to a clean plate.
    Pour off any accumulated fat in the pan and add the potatoes, sprinkling them with ¼ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and the remaining 1½ teaspoons thyme.
    Place the chicken, skin-side up, on the potatoes and brush the skin with the reserved thyme-lemon juice mixture.

Roasting the chicken and potatoes:

  • Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
    Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.

Finish Roasting the Potatoes:

  • Return the skillet with the potatoes to the oven and roast until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
    Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, leaving the fat behind.
    Toss the potatoes with the parsley.
    Cut the chicken into pieces. Serve the chicken and potatoes immediately with the lemon wedges.

Notes

My recommended non-stick skillet
I debated whether or not to use my cast-iron skillet for the recipe. In the end, I used my Oxo Non-Stick Skillet and my chicken turned out perfectly!
Recipe source: America's Test Kitchen, Season 21