Pollo al Mattone (Chicken Under a Brick)

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Lemon wedges

Instructions

1. 1

   Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap 2 bricks tightly in aluminum foil and set aside. Place 1 whole chicken, giblets discarded, breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone. Trim off any excess fat and discard backbone. Flip chicken over and press on breastbone to flatten. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.

2. 2

   Using your fingers, carefully loosen skin covering breast and legs. Rub ¾ teaspoon kosher salt under skin of each breast, ¾ teaspoon salt under skin of each leg, and 1 teaspoon salt onto bird's cavity. Tuck wings behind back and turn legs so drumsticks face inward toward breasts. (Chicken can be refrigerated, uncovered, for up to 24 hours. Pat dry with paper towels before cooking).

3. 3

   Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Swirl skillet to coat evenly with oil. Place chicken in skillet skin-side down. Place weight on top of chicken, making sure it is in even contact with breasts and legs, and press chicken firmly into skillet. Cook for 5 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Transfer skillet, with weight still on chicken, to oven and roast for 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Remove skillet from oven and remove weight. Using tongs and thin metal spatula, flip bird so it is skin-side up (if necessary, run spatula under chicken to loosen from bottom of skillet). Return skillet to oven and continue to roast chicken (unweighted) until thickest part of breast registers 150 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes longer.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, combine 1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice, 1 tablespoon minced parsley, 1½ teaspoons minced rosemary, 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 minced garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl.

6. 6

   Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add any fat and pan juices to lemon mixture. Carve chicken and whisk any accumulated juices into vinaigrette. Season vinaigrette with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Serve chicken, passing vinaigrette and lemon wedges separately.