Brick Chicken with Rosé Wine and Bacon Recipe

Adapted from "A Great American Cook" by Jonathan Waxman

3.0

(10)

Difficulty: Medium | Total Time: 1 hr | Active Time: 25 mins | Makes: 2 to 4 servings

Deeply browned skin, smoky bacon, fresh herbs, and a liberal splash of rosé make this juicy chicken from Jonathan Waxman, chef-owner of Barbuto, fancy enough for guests but easy enough for a weeknight dinner. (Watch him make a version of it in is My Go-To Dish video for CHOW.) Sop up the sauce with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

What to buy: Be sure to get a 2-1/2- to 3-pound chicken, because anything bigger may not fit flat in the pot.

Bricks can be purchased at most hardware stores. You’ll need one or two standard 4-1/2-pound bricks to weigh down the chicken.

INGREDIENTS

1 (2-1/2- to 3-pound) chicken, innards removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced bacon (about 4 ounces)
1 cup rosé wine
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram, thyme, or sage

INSTRUCTIONS

Butterfly the chicken by cutting down both sides of the backbone with poultry shears or heavy, sharp scissors and removing the backbone (freeze it to use for stock). Open the bird, place it skin side up, and press down firmly on it with the palms of your hands to flatten the chicken as much as you can. Pat dry. Rub the chicken with olive oil, then rub salt all over the bird, then rub with pepper.
Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Place the bacon in an enameled cast-iron casserole or a Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until browned, about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to the paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Carefully add the chicken to the pot, skin side down. Place a foil-wrapped brick (see the “What to buy” note above) on the chicken to press it against the bottom of the hot pan. Cook over medium heat until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Remove the brick, carefully flip the chicken using tongs, and pour the rosé around the chicken. Let cook uncovered for 10 minutes, then cover and cook until the flesh is no longer pink, the juices run clear when the inner thigh is pierced with a knife, or a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the thigh reads 160°F to 165°F, about 15 minutes more.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a clean cutting board. Using shears, scissors, or a sharp knife, cut it into 4 or 8 pieces.
Pour the sauce from the pot into a fat separator and discard the fat (alternatively, you can pour the sauce into a bowl and skim off the fat). Pour the strained sauce back into the pot, add the reserved bacon and the herbs, and stir to combine. Add the chicken and stir to coat in the sauce. Serve hot.

Write a review | 10 Reviews

Sounds good to me, chicken gets the heat , no prisoners there. There is a brick in my garden. I will do the deed on Sunday. deedeedoo has the good advice. ucanahdooit . you are corrected :) Torvum, the de-fatting/skimming at the end is the way to go :) Blimey, this is an old thread. I would delete (if I knew how)