Chicken Under a Brick

Step 1

Wrap 2 bricks with foil (if you don’t have any bricks lying around, use a heavy skillet). Working with 1 leg at a time, place chicken skin side down on a cutting board. Using your fingers, feel for the thigh bone, which runs from one end of the thigh to the other. Using a boning knife or another thin sharp knife, cut straight down into flesh until the tip of the knife hits the bone, then slice from one end of bone to the other to expose its entire length. Using short strokes and trying to stay as close to the bone as possible, cut meat away from bone on both sides, working your way around until you can wiggle the tip of your knife underneath it (take care not to cut through the skin). With the front end of your blade underneath the bone, slice upward toward free end of bone to release flesh. At this point, the bone should only be attached at the joint that connects it to the drumstick.

Step 2

Repeat this process, this time making a cut from the top of the drumstick bone (at the joint) down to foot end. Cut along either side of drumstick bone (same as you did with the thigh bone) until you can wiggle your knife underneath. With the blade angled toward the cutting board this time, cut meat away from bone. By now, the drumstick and thigh bones should be attached only where they meet at the joint. Make small cuts all around and underneath joint until you can cut out bones completely. Cut away any pieces of cartilage that remain. Turn deboned chicken over and smooth skin over meat. (Freeze bones and use at a later date for stock.)

Step 3

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Pour oil into a medium cast-iron skillet. Place chicken in pan skin side down (it’s okay if the pieces touch, but make sure they don’t overlap). Heat pan over medium-high and place a prepared brick on top of each piece (or, place a sheet of foil over chicken, then set a second cast-iron skillet on top). Cook chicken, checking halfway through to make sure skin isn’t taking on color too quickly and reducing heat to medium if needed, until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and flesh is almost completely cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Step 4

While chicken is cooking, place anchovy, garlic, and 1 tsp. salt in a mortar and use pestle to pound to a paste, about 1 minute. Add parsley and continue to pound until completely pulverized, about 2 minutes. (Alternately, grate garlic and finely chop anchovy and parsley, then mix together in a medium bowl.) Mix in oil, vinegar, mustard, and red pepper flakes with pestle, then add scallions. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.

Step 5

Carefully remove bricks (foil will be greasy) and check chicken. There should be only a hint of medium-rare flesh on the thickest part of the thigh. Using a thin spatula, release chicken skin from pan and turn onto flesh side. Remove from heat and let sit to finish cooking through, about 1 minute.

Step 6

Spoon some pesto verde onto a platter. Top with chicken, skin side up, and spoon more pesto over (but don’t cover up all that beautiful crisp skin you just created!).