Chicken Tabaka Georgian Chicken Under A Brick Food

CHICKEN TABAKA (GEORGIAN CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK)

Steps:

• Prepare chicken and place in a large, covered bowl or a large ziploc baggie.
• Combine oil, garlic, seasoning; squeeze in the juice of the lemon, then slice it in about 4 large slices and throw in also.
• Pour marinade over chicken and massage in to chicken (I loosen the breast skin, without removing, and rub some under there as well).
• Let marinate overnight, or at lease a couple of hours.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
• Remove chicken from marinade and season all over with salt and pepper, then place in hot skillet.
• Weight chicken down with another cast iron skillet (you can use any type of skillet, if necessary, and weight THAT down with cans or bricks or something).
• Cook 10 minutes, then turn over and return weight; keep cooking 10 minutes and turning until chicken is crispy and cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes (will register 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer).

CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry. Rinse and dry the chicken halves again. Combine the thyme, rosemary, garlic, and olive oil in a large zip-top bag or mixing bowl. Add the chicken halves. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
• Heat the oven to 450°F Wrap two bricks in a couple of layers of foil. (If you don't have bricks, use heavy rocks, 2-lb. weights, or another heavy pan weighed down with cans.) Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, let the excess marinade drain off, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set a large cast-iron or other heavy ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add just enough oil to lightly film the pan. Put the chicken halves, skin side down, in the pan and immediately put a brick on top of each half. Turn the heat to medium and cook (without moving the chicken) until the skin is a deep golden brown (check with a spatula) and the chicken is cooked about halfway through, 20 to 25 minute Remove the bricks, turn the chicken halves over, and put the pan in the hot oven to finish roasting the chicken until a thermometer registers at least 165°F, another 20 to 25 minute.

CHICKEN UNDER A " BRICK" WITH ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Technique: Butterfly a chicken by cutting along the length of one side of the backbone. Turn chicken and cut along the other side of backbone and remove it. Turn chicken breast side up and flatten chicken with the palm of your hand. Then pound it with the flat side of a mallet to a fairly even thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat oven to 450°F.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a heavy bottomed 12-inch ovenproof nonstick pan over med-high heat until it begins to smoke. Swirl oil to coat the pan. Place the chicken skin side down in the pan and reduce heat to med. Place the weight on the chicken and cook until evenly brown for about 25 minutes, checking every 5 minutes or so. The chicken should be fairly crisp and brown after 20 minutes, if not turn up to med-high heat and continue to cook until well-browned.
• Mix the remaining oil, garlic, 1 1/2 tsp thyme, rosemary, pepper flakes, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper in a small bowl.
• Using tongs, carefully transfer chicken to a plate with the skin side up.
• Pour off any fat from pan and add the potatoes, sprinkling them with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper and the remaining thyme. Place the chicken skin side up on the potatoes and brush the skin with the thyme-lemon juice mixture.
• Transfer pan to oven and roast until the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F on a meat thermometer 10-15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
• Return the potatoes to the oven and roast until browned and cooked through about 10 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a large bowl leaving fat behind. Toss the potatoes with parsley. Cut the chicken in to pieces and serve with lemon wedges.