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Chicken Mattone - or Brick Chicken

Some of you are probably familiar with this dish. I'm posting the recipe to elicit some advice about doing a version first smoked in my SM008 and then finished in a HOT oven (since I have no grill at the moment). Reading the recipe below you split the chicken at that backbone and then spread it open, I have a 2 gallon freezer bag and was going to put the chicken in that and make a simple brine/marinade - then smoke it flipping it during the smoking time so each side gets "grill marks" then putting into a hot 400 oven to finish cook and crisp up the chicken with a little asian glaze... What say Ye ???

Interesting to see Tyler Florence (one of my favorite Food TV Network chefs) doing commercial spots for Applebee's chain. He's taken some clever and tasty dishes and commercialized them for mass consumption. One shown on one of the commercials is a variation on an old Sicilian dish called Chicken Mattone (or brick chicken). It's easy and very tasty. You can cook it on a grill or if weather does not permit that you could "fake it" on a HEAVY cookie sheet in a very hot oven...


Mis en place

1 3 1/2 - 5 lb. fryer

1 Tbls. Chopped Garlic
2 Tbls. FRESH Rosemary needles
1 Tbls. Garlic Salt
1 Tbls. Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flake


Juice of one lemon
2 Tbls. EVO


Wash and pat dry the whole chicken. Cut open the chicken at the backbone with a heavy kitchen knife or kitchen shears. Now, taking the bird forceably in your hands pry it open like a book. If necessary man handle it by pounding AT THE JUNCTION of the breast halves until it lies totally flat.

Combine 1st group of ingredients in a small food processor or mortar to make a coarse paste. Rub all over BOTH sides of the bird. Lay bird in large sheet pan and rub EVO and Lemon Juice on both sides. Let marinate AT LEAST 1 HOUR, preferably overnight.

Preheat grill (or to do indoors place heavy cookie sheet pan in oven and preheat to 450). Meanwhile take a large terracotta tile and wrap completely with heavy aluminum foil. Place bird skin side down on grill and cover bird with brick so bird lies completely flat (or use a very large and heavy cast iron skillet). Grill for 15 minutes. Remove brick and flip bird over, place INSIDE of bird down on face of grill and place brick (or pan) back on grill. Cook an additional 15-18 minutes. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before cutting up for service.

(In oven preparation: place bird on already preheated cookie sheet pan skin side down, cover bird with brick or heavy cast iron skillet so bird is COMPELETLY FLAT on cooking surface. Roast at 450 for 20 minutes. Remove and flip bird over so INSIDE of bird is now on hot sheet pan. Again cover with brick (or pan) and roast additional 20 minutes. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before cutting for service)

Serve chicken with rustic salad of arugula, thinly slice purple onion and grape tomatoes in a tart viniagrette... Enjoy with a rustic red wine and coarse country bread.

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