Grilled Chicken Under a Brick

Step 1

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place on a large platter or baking sheet.

Step 2

Put peeled garlic cloves and rosemary in a mini food processor or food chopper and process until finely chopped. You may do also this step by hand with a knife or pound the garlic and herbs together in a mortar and pestle.

Step 3

Put rosemary-garlic mixture in a small bowl. Add olive oil and stir to combine.

Step 4

Rub rosemary-garlic oil all over the butterflied chicken, making sure all parts of the bird are coated.

Step 5

Cover the chicken well and refrigerate for a few hours or up to overnight.

Step 6

When you’re ready to grill the chicken, take it out of the fridge and squeeze and rub the juice of the lemon all over it. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Tuck the wings under the bird to keep them from burning on the grill.

Step 7

Prepare and preheat your gas or charcoal grill for direct medium-low heat. Wrap two heavy bricks with aluminum foil. If you don't have bricks, you can try a heavy large cast iron skillet.

Step 8

Allow as much marinade as possible to drip off the chicken before placing it on the grill. Place chicken skin side down on the grill and watch for flare-ups. You may need to move the chicken around a bit until the flare-ups die down. Once the flare-ups stop, put two foil-covered bricks (or a heavy skillet) directly on top of the chicken and allow to cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.

Step 9

Remove the bricks from the chicken and carefully lift it up to check the skin. The skin should be well-browned and crispy. If so, it’s time to flip the bird.

Step 10

When you flip it over, you don’t need to put the bricks back on the chicken. Just let finish cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees This will probably only take about 10 minutes. Make sure you check the temperature in several places, including the thickest part of the breast.

Step 11

Once the chicken reaches 165 degrees F, take it off the grill and let rest on your carving board for 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into individual pieces and serve with extra lemon wedges on the side if desired.