A couple of summers ago I started making bricked chicken. I got the idea from Giorgio Locatelli who owns Locanda, a great Italian restaurant in London. The concept is very simple. Marinade the chicken breasts and then put them on a slow grill with a brick on top of each breast. What happens is the chicken breasts flatten out a little, but not like when you pound them between waxed paper with a heavy weight. Also, they come off the grill extremely moist and flavorful. I usually slice each breast and then toss it over fresh long pasta, like linguine, fettucine or papardelle, with a quick chicken stock and wine reduction sauce or a hearty tomato sauce.
Last night we used our Puttanesca sauce on pappardelle.
During the summer, we have dinner outside on our deck as often as possible. We have a lot of guests for dinner in the summer. It’s very casual and, as I said, the summer before last I really got into making bricked chicken all the time. People who had never had bricked chicken before, were always surprised when I’d start placing bricks on the chicken breasts that were on the grill. It got to the point where there must have been about twenty five pounds of masonry on the grill. Then I started “bricking” salmon, striped bass, beef tenderloin; for a while, whatever it was, it got bricked. Since then I’ve somewhat backed off from so much bricking. But it was such a nice afternoon today, I thought “what the hey, let’s do a brick chicken blog.” Here is a tip: notice in the photograph of the four chicken breasts on the grill that I’ve wrapped each brick in aluminum foil. It’s much easier to change the aluminum foil than it is to clean the bricks. Also, before you put the chicken breasts on the grill, put your bricks on the heat for several minutes to get them warmed up.
Here’s what I did for my “Bricked Chicken” recipe:
4 boneless chicken breasts (preferably free range that you or the butcher has deboned)
1-½ cups white wine, plus 1 more cup, divided
juice from 2 large lemons
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 cups of chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 shallot finely chopped
3 T unsalted butter
In a bowl, using a whisk, mix together the 1-½ cups of white wine, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and thyme. Add the chicken breasts, making sure they are evenly submerged in the marinade. Put a piece of plastic film over the chicken and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Heat up the grill with the bricks in it. When hot, put the chicken breasts on the grill and, with tongs or mitts, place a brick on each breast; lower the heat on the grill (assuming you have a gas grill) and cook for four minutes with the lid closed. Take the bricks off, flip the breasts, and replace the bricks. Cook for another four minutes.
While the chicken breasts are grilling, pour the chicken stock and the remaining 1 cup of white wine into a small sauce pan, add the shallot and reduce it to 2/3 cup. Beat in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, and set over a very low flame. (If you’re having pasta you should have already gotten your water boiling in a stockpot and put the pasta in now.)
Remove the chicken breasts from the grill; slice each breast across the grain of the breast (try not to eat all of it as you slice it – I know it’s hard) and drain your pasta, if you’re having some. Place the pasta in a bowl with the sliced chicken breasts on top; spoon some of the warmed sauce over the chicken and the pasta and enjoy! Serves 4 — maybe.
