Crispy Chicken Under a Brick
- Total: 1 hr 45 min
- Prep: 1 hr 15 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients
1 whole (3 pound) chicken
3/4 cup olive oil
2 oranges, juiced and zested
2 teaspoons cumin seed, toasted
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Remove the backbone and split the chicken in half. Mix together 1/2-cup olive oil, orange juice and zest, cumin, curry, brown sugar, garlic and parsley. Marinate the chicken in the mixture for 1 hour, covered in the refrigerator.
- Place an ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Put the remaining 1/4-cup olive oil into the hot skillet and wait 1 minute for it to heat up.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, season all over with salt and pepper. Place the chicken halves in the skillet, skin side down. Wrap 2 bricks in aluminum foil and set them on top of the chicken. The weight will flatten the chicken resulting in a very crispy skin.
- Cook on the stovetop for 10 minutes, then transfer the weighted skillet to a preheated 450 degrees F oven. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to pry the chicken from the pan so not to tear the skin.
