Ali Slagle
THE WASHINGTON POST – Though cooking rooster underneath a brick goes all the best way again to the Roman period, you’d suppose it was designed to meet a contemporary residence cook dinner’s each hope for weeknight rooster.
Within the outdated days, partially deboned or spatchcocked rooster was positioned in a shallow terra-cotta vessel harking back to a cazuela, then topped with a terra-cotta brick known as a mattone (therefore the title of the dish, pollo al mattone). It was cooked over an open flame till the pores and skin was crisped and the meat was juicy.
Current-day variations are made on the grill, within the oven or on the stovetop.
The load of the brick creates cheek-to-cheek contact of rooster to skillet, rushing up the cooking course of and creating unabashedly crisp pores and skin. And since the rooster is roofed with this lid of kinds, the splattering typical in frying rooster thighs now not decorates your kitchen.
All these perks make pollo al mattone a tempting addition to the weeknight skillet rooster routine – particularly with a couple of tweaks.
Deboning rooster flattens it to offer extra even contact between the rooster and skillet, which suggests extra even cooking and browning.
However the process requires, a minimum of for me, watching some YouTube tutorial first. I go for bone-in, skin-on rooster thighs to keep away from the nervous dance of getting each the white and darkish meat finished however not overdone. I then lower slits into the pores and skin all the best way all the way down to the bone, which helps the thighs lay flat within the pan.
With such direct contact between sizzling skillet and rooster pores and skin, burning is a risk.
Nothing slightly mayonnaise can’t deal with, although. Mayo acts as a preventive coating to something that you just’d wish to brown, together with grilled steaks, skillet rooster thighs and grilled cheese. As mayonnaise cooks, its personal (contentious) flavour dissipates, however as a result of it’s an amazing provider of flavour, any components you stirred into it will probably cook dinner and bloom with out burning.
Take the recipe right here: A chipotle-lime mayo is unfold onto the rooster pores and skin (one other one among mayo’s nice attributes is it gloms to no matter it touches).
If you happen to’d solely marinated the rooster with chipotle in adobo and lime zest, these components might’ve singed, however not so within the mayo. As a result of mayo has oil in it, you don’t have to grease the pan, which additional reduces splatters.
As if mayo hasn’t already finished sufficient for us, you should use further chipotle mayo to tug items of rooster by.
The fantastic byproduct of crispy pores and skin is a skillet filled with rendered drippings, which looks like extra of a present than the rooster itself.
It’s additionally the place to cook dinner any facet you need. Right here, that’s crisped rice with broccoli and scallions – a type of schmaltsy fried rice – however it is also carrots, broccoli, candy potato and even beans.
This environment friendly little recipe supplies many avenues for improvisation. Head exterior and grill the rooster.
Swap up the persona of the mayo – possibly with salsa verde, grated lemon and garlic, barbecue sauce or miso. Use the rendered drippings in a salad dressing or to toast torn bread.
Such alluringly crispy, flavourful and speedy rooster can anchor many (certainly, centuries) of dinners.
Storage Notes: Refrigerate leftovers for as much as three days. Gently rewarm in a skillet over medium -low warmth
CHIPOTLE MAYO BRICK CHICKEN
Components
– Two kilos bone-in, skin-on rooster thighs
– Half teaspoon effective salt, plus extra as wanted
– Freshly floor black pepper
– One cup mayonnaise
– Three chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus one teaspoon adobo sauce
– One teaspoon floor cumin
– One lime, finely zested and halved
– One cup long-grain white rice
– One pound broccoli, lower into florets, stems sliced – Quarter-inch thick
– Six scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Carry a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Pat the rooster dry. Lower two slits all the best way to the bone on the highest of every thigh. Season with the half teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine collectively the mayonnaise, chipotles and adobo sauce, cumin and lime zest. Spoon about half of the chipotle mayo right into a small bowl, cowl and refrigerate till able to serve. Brush the remaining mayo on the pores and skin of the rooster.
Place the rooster pores and skin facet down within the centre of a big cast-iron skillet.
Set the pan over medium-high warmth, and canopy the rooster with foil or parchment, urgent every thigh down in opposition to the pan. Place one thing heavy, reminiscent of one other cast-iron skillet, a couple of cans or a brick, on prime.
Prepare dinner the rooster till opaque practically all the best way up the edges, 20 to 25 minutes, checking midway by to verify the pores and skin isn’t browning too quick. (Whether it is, decrease the warmth).
When the water involves a boil, add one teaspoon of salt and the rice.
Prepare dinner, stirring often, for seven minutes, then add the broccoli and cook dinner an extra three minutes, or till the rice is almost al dente.
Drain, rinse with chilly water and shake as dry as potential. Put aside whilst you end the rooster.
Take away the brick and foil or parchment from the rooster. Add the lime halves, lower sides down, to the pan.
Flip the rooster, and cook dinner till cooked by and the limes are charred, an extra three to 4 minutes.
The interior temperature of the rooster ought to register 165 levels on an instant-read thermometer. If not, take away the lime to a plate and cook dinner the rooster for an extra 5 minutes, then examine once more.
Switch the rooster and limes to a plate, leaving the fats within the pan. Add the scallions to the skillet and stir, scraping up browned bits, till aromatic, about one minute.
Add the rice and broccoli, stir to coat within the rooster fats, then pat into a good layer. Prepare dinner till warmed and beginning to crisp on the underside, three to 5 minutes. Style, and season with extra salt and pepper, if wanted. Take away from the warmth, and return the rooster and lime to the skillet.
Serve within the skillet, family-style, squeezing the charred lime over the rooster, with the remaining chipotle mayo on the facet.
