Chicken Under a Brick (Pollo al Mattone)
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats.
A spatchcocked chicken, rubbed with garlic, rosemary and chilli, is weighted down in a hot pan for crisp, even skin, then finished in the oven with caramelised lemon.
Based on the listed ingredients, none of the 14 major EU allergens. Always check product labels.
Method
- 1
Spatchcock the chicken. Cut out the backbone with poultry shears, flip the chicken over, and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Tuck the wing tips behind the breast to keep the shape neat.
- 2
Marinate. Mix the oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and chilli flakes, then season the chicken all over with the salt and pepper and rub with the paste, keeping some garlic off the very surface of the skin where it's more likely to burn. Refrigerate for 1-24 hours.
- 3
Sear under a weight. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) first, so it is ready when the skin is crisp. Heat a thin film of oil in the pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then lay the chicken skin-side down. Place the second pan or weighted bricks on top to press the skin flat against the pan's surface, since even contact is what gives evenly crisp skin. Cook for 15-20 minutes, lowering the heat to medium if it smokes hard, lifting the weight to check after 10 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crisp.
- 4
Finish in the oven. Remove the weight, flip the chicken skin-up, and place the lemon halves cut-side down beside it in the pan. Transfer to the oven for 15-20 minutes until the breast reaches 74°C and the thigh 77-80°C.
- 5
Rest and serve. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes, then cut into pieces and squeeze over the caramelised roasted lemons.
Storage
Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently until piping hot throughout (74°C); a hot oven will do more to preserve crispness than a microwave. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
49.4 g protein for 636 kcal = 7.8 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 31% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Sugar-free: 0.1 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 0.5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 174 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0.1 g per serving
0.2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0.4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large cast-iron or heavy ovenproof frying pan (30 cm)
- a second heavy pan, or 2 foil-wrapped bricks, for weighting
- poultry shears
- instant-read thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 636 kcal |
| Protein | 49.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.9 g |
| of which sugars | 0.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 46.6 g |
| of which saturates | 12.3 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g |
| Salt | 2.28 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
7.8 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
