Chicken Under a Brick

I haven't made this in a couple of years.  But then I was on the road for a year!  So now it is time.  This afternoon my neighbour and I drove out to the Webb Hutterite colony and bought chickens.  Their chickens are by far the best I can buy here in my little town.

My usual treatment is to cut the chicken into pieces and cook the piece I am in the mood for.  I live alone so a whole chicken can take a little longer to eat than I would like.  I prefer not to freeze cooked chicken because I feel that the texture and the flavour is diminished.

But I just have to make the grilled Chicken Under a Brick.  I'm sure you have all done this and it is no big secret but I love it.  At the moment I only have my little Weber charcoal bbq and to roast a whole chicken would take more time and attention that I feel like spending.  But if you spatchcock the chicken....then it is very do-able.

Don't you love that word 'spatchcock'?  It is a weird word.  The basic drill is to cut down both sides of the back bone and remove it.  This is easiest accomplished with sturdy kitchen shears.  Then you can lay the chicken flat and with the heels of your hands, press down on the breasts to make the chicken flat.  When it is flat it cooks much more quickly and evenly.  If you preheat a foil covered brick on the grill, you can place this brick on top of the chicken and cook it from both sides at the same time.  Tuck the wing tips behind the breast.

I love the simple lemon juice marinade for the chicken.  Add a few herbs and it is, oh, so Italian.  Serve the chicken with a simple salad of garden greens in a buttermilk honey dressing.

Chicken Under a Brick

3 lemons, juiced

1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced

Whisk all together and marinade the chicken in this for 2 hours in the refrigerator.  Remove the chicken 1/2 hour before grilling so it warms up and cooks more evenly.

Grill chicken on medium barbecue.  Preheat a foil covered brick and place the brick on top of the chicken.  Garnish with grilled slices of lemons, if desired.