Chicken Under a Brick

This works great with thighs, maybe better than with a whole bird.

New York Times

April 11, 2008, 10:30 AM

Recipe of the Day: Chicken Under a Brick

By MARK BITTMAN

The dish is well known in Italy, where it is called chicken al mattone (a mattone is a heavy tile), but as a knowledgeable friend points out, it has roots in Russia as well. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

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Chicken Under a Brick

Yield 4 servings

Time 45 minutes

Here, a split chicken is seared in one skillet and weighted with another skillet -- or with a couple of rocks or bricks -- before being transferred to an oven. Moving the hot, heavy pan from range to oven takes two hands, but the effort is well worth it.

Ingredients

• 1 whole 3- to 4-pound chicken, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed, dried and split, backbone removed
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon peeled and coarsely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, optional
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters

Method

• 1. Place the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down, and using your hands, press down hard to make it as flat as possible. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and rub this all over the chicken. Tuck some of the mixture under the skin as well. If time permits, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to a day (even 20 minutes of marinating boosts the flavor).
• 2. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Preheat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Press rosemary sprigs, if using, into the skin side of the chicken. Put remaining olive oil in the pan and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up.
• 3. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, along with any remaining pieces of rosemary and garlic; weight it with another skillet or with one or two bricks or rocks, wrapped in aluminum foil. The idea is to flatten the chicken by applying weight evenly over its surface.
• 4. Cook over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and remove the weights; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast 10 minutes more, or until done (large chickens may take an additional 5 minutes or so). Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.
• Variations:
• -- Use different herbs; sage, savory and tarragon are all great. Russians use paprika.
• -- Try a light dusting of cinnamon, ginger and/or other \'\'sweet\'\' spice.
• -- Use minced shallots instead of garlic.
• -- Vary the acidic ingredient: balsamic or Sherry vinegar, or lime can all pinch-hit for the lemon, depending upon the other flavors.
• -- Use clarified butter or a neutral oil, like canola or corn, in place of the olive oil.
• -- Leave European flavors behind entirely and make the dish Asian, using peanut oil and a mixture of minced garlic, ginger and scallions. Finish the dish with lime and cilantro, or soy sauce and sesame oil.

Jacques Pepin's Quick-Roasted Chicken with Mustard & Garlic

Another good one from Food & Wine magazine, September 2008, via Bev Pederson, with a few of my adaptations.

If you like, prepare the chicken with mustard mixture in advance and refrigerate overnight or longer. Bring chicken to room temperature before roasting.

one 4-lb. chicken

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. dry white wine or vermouth

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. Tabasco (or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper)

1 tsp. herbes de Provence (or thyme)

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat over to 450F. Remove chicken backbone. Cut part way through both sides of thigh/drumstick joints and place chicken breast side up in an oven-proof skillet.

Mix remaining ingredients and spread mixture over both sides of chicken. Set skillet over high heat and cook until chicken starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast chicken for 30 minutes or until skin is browned and chicken is cooked through. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Mashed potatoes mixed with celery root puree. Red Loire wine.

Chocolate Stout Cake

Chocolate Stout Cake
Bon Appétit (September 2002)
You always want to go to book club when Bev Pederson hosts, because she makes things like this. The Bitten Word guys note that two layers would be enough, but who can resist the silliness of three?

Servings: Makes 12 servings.

2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream

Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

for the icing:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.

Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.

Walnut Pear Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cold butter
• FILLING:
• 2 medium ripe pears, peeled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Place flour in a small bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup of nut mixture; set aside for topping. Set aside remaining nut mixture for filling.
2. Toss pears with lemon juice; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.
3. Spread two-thirds of the batter into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Top with the reserved nut mixture, pears and remaining batter. Sprinkle with walnuts and reserved topping mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Cool for 1 hour before cutting.

Spinach, Mushroom & Cheese Strata

Adapted from Gourmet February 2003.  Variations abound:  replace spinach-mushroom mixture with fresh asparagus (peel & slice into thin diagonals, infuse milk with asparagus trimmings). Grilled onion & red pepper with cheddar for Suzapalooza (Suzy's 70th).

2 Tbsp. butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

2 cups cooked fresh spinach

1 cup cooked sliced mushrooms

salt, pepper, nutmeg

2 1/2 cups skim milk

1 cup half and half

9 eggs

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

8 cups cubed (1 inch) Italian or French bread

Gruyere, 2 cups grated

Parmesan, 1 cup grated

Use 1 Tbsp. of the butter to grease a 9x13-inch glass pan. Cook onion and garlic in remaining 1 Tbsp. butter until soft. Add the spinach and mushrooms along with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/4 tsp nutmeg.

Whisk together milk, cream, eggs & mustard with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Spread half of bread in pan. Scatter half of vegetable mixture on top. Top with half of cheeses. Repeat with remaining bread, vegetables, cheeses. Pour egg mixture evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours.

Let strata stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat over to 350F. Bake strata uncovered until puffed, golden brown & cooked through--about 50 minutes