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Pollo al mattone
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 1kg
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 10 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
- 21⁄2tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for rubbing
- juice and zest of 1 lemon lemon wedges, to serve
- 1 x house brick
Method
Butterfly the chicken by cutting along the backbone, removing it along with the wishbone and then flattening with the palm of your hand (or ask your butcher to do this). Disjoint the legs to flatten out further. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper.
Make a marinade by combining the garlic, sage, rosemary, olive oil and lemon juice and zest. Rub this mixture all over the outside of the chicken and under the skin and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Prepare a clean brick by wrapping it in a double layer of foil. Remove the chicken from the marinade (make sure you remove any garlic slices on the top to avoid them burning). Rub the chicken with olive oil.
Select an ovenproof frying pan large enough to hold the chicken. Place over a medium- high heat and sear the chicken, skin side down, with the brick placed on top.
Cook for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the brick (it will be hot), turn the chicken over, then replace the brick (using a side that wasn’t previously touching the raw chicken) and cook the underside of the chicken for 15 minutes. Remove the brick, then finish cooking the chicken in the oven for a further 15 minutes.
If you are using a slightly larger chicken, you may need to let it finish in the oven longer. A good test is to pierce the inside of the thigh with a skewer. If the juice runs clear, it is ready; if it is pink, it still needs some more time.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving with lemon wedges on the side.
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