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Pollo alla Mattone with Wilted Kale
Pollo alla mattone, or “chicken under a brick,” is a Tuscan dish in which a chicken (pollo) is spatchcocked, marinated and grilled or roasted under a brick (mattone). The weight presses the chicken down, ensuring the bird makes good contact with the cooking surface, rendering fat and ensuring beautiful browning and crisping. We start the bird breast side down in a skillet on the stovetop, then weight it and slide the skillet into the oven to finish cooking. As a “brick” we use a second heavy skillet or a large, heavy pot (such as a cast-iron Dutch oven). However, if you happen to have a couple clean bricks on hand, you could wrap them in heavy-duty foil for use as weights. The flavorful drippings in the skillet after roasting are not to be missed. We use them to wilt some lacinato kale to serve as a side (lacinato kale sometimes is sold as dinosaur or Tuscan kale). A halved lemon tucked into the pan alongside the chicken becomes juicy and mellow with roasting and is perfect for squeezing at the table to lift and brighten the flavors.
4
Servings
Don’t forget to turn the heat down to medium after placing the chicken in the skillet. If the heat is too high, the skin will brown too quickly and the garlic may scorch. While the bird cooks on the stovetop, check on it every few minutes and rotate the skillet on the burner to even out any hot spots.
1 hour
35 minutes active
Ingredients
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3
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
-
4
medium garlic cloves, finely grated
Directions
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01In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons oil, the garlic, lemon zest, pepper flakes, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Place the chicken, breast down, on a cutting board. Using sturdy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone, end to end. Remove and discard the backbone (or save it to make broth). Spread open the chicken, then turn it breast up. Use the heel of your hand to press down firmly on the thickest part of the breast, until the wishbone snaps. Rub the garlic mixture all over both sides of the chicken and into the skin. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature while the oven heats. Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the lowest position.
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