Summer 2009
Just Jamie
CHICKEN COOKED UNDER A BRICK
Serves four
• 1 chicken, boned (ask your butcher to do this for you)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 stalks of rosemary, plus extra, to serve
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 red dutch (or other long) chilli, halved
• 6 red cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 200g tinned tomatoes
• 6 yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tbsp capers
• A large handful of kalamata olives
1 Wrap two bricks in foil. Get a grill pan nice and hot (depending on the size of your pan, you might have to use two pans or cook the chicken in batches). Place the chicken on a board and oil and season both sides.
Divide the chicken into two pieces. With a meat hammer, or rolling pin, pummel the rosemary into the flesh to release its oils. Place the chicken halves skin-side down onto the char-grill and place the bricks on top of the chicken to weigh it down (you could also use a cast-iron saucepan or a heavy lid that’s smaller than the pan to squash the chicken.) Grill for ten minutes each side. If you aren’t using bricks, char-grill the chicken halves for four minutes each side, or until golden, and then put in an oven pre-heated to 200C/gas 6 for fifteen minutes. When the chicken is crisp-skinned, golden brown and cooked through, place it on a metal tray in a warm place and allow to rest.
2 Meanwhile, heat tbsp olive oil a hot frying pan, then add the garlic and chilli and cook until golden. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for two minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes, capers and kalamata olives. Cook for another two minutes, then season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the chilli halves.
3 To serve, put the tomato sauce on a platter. Cut up the chicken halves and place on tomatoes, pour over the resting juices, scatter over some rosemary sprigs or chopped leaves, drizzle with a little olive oil.