Brick chicken, or pollo al mattone, is a cooking method more than a dish. A butterflied bird is flattened into a roasting pan by a heavy weight—the brick—which maximizes the surface area contact between the bird’s skin and the pan, producing super-crispy chicken skin.
In this video, ChefSteps’ Nicholas Gavin demonstrates our version, which features a completely boned-out half chicken. Deboning the chicken speeds up the cooking time, ensures the dark meat and light meat cook at the same rate, and creates a completely flat plane of chicken skin. Add a good amount of oil to the pan and place a 5-pound brick on top of the chicken, and the skin basically shallow fries, producing the crispiest brick chicken skin imaginable, with perfectly cooked meat throughout. Nick also shows you how to transform the drippings into an umami-packed pan sauce. It’s the perfect special-occasion dinner that will impress any guest.
Check out our full recipe on ChefSteps.com: https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/pan-seared-brick-chicken
Equipment:
Buy a Control Freak Home: https://breville.oie8.net/9goeDy
[Time Codes]
0:00 - How to make pan-seared brick chicken
0:39 - How to debone a chicken
5:58 - How to dry-brine snd skewer the chicken
7:23 - How to pan-sear chicken with a brick
12:22 - How to make a pan sauce
14:47 - How to carve and serve pan-seared brick chicken
Follow us:
https://www.instagram.com/chefsteps
https://www.facebook.com/Chefsteps
ChefSteps 101: Through science, entertainment, and industry experience, we strive to help every home cook reach their full potential. With more than 1,000 recipes developed in our kitchen, there’s something for everyone. To find out more, visit our website: https://www.chefsteps.com/