This is the classic Italian dish known as pollo al mattone. Cooking chicken under a heavy weight results in an exceptionally crispy skin.

　　

Ingredients

　　

Step 1

This version is for legs that have been boned, leaving the thigh and drumstick attached. You may be able to persuade your butcher to do this for you. If not, use a very sharp boning or paring knife to cut through the skin and tendons all the way around the “ankle” of the drumstick. With the fleshy side of the leg facing up, starting at the ankle, cut down along one side of the bone, keeping your knife against it and cutting along its entire length to the joint. Continue along the thigh bone out to the ball at its end. Pull the flesh back to expose the bone as you cut along the other side, pulling the flesh away as you go and working your knife under the bones so that the meat is attached only at the joint. Bend the ends of the bones together and carefully cut away the remaining flesh around the joint: be careful not to nick the skin, which is very close to the bone at this point. The bones can be saved for making broth.

　　

Step 2

Season the boned legs well with salt and pepper, and, if you want, dried chile flakes and coarsely chopped herbs such as thyme, rosemary, savory, or sage. Put a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil, then quickly and carefully place the chicken legs in the pan with the skin side down. Arrange the chicken so that all the skin is in contact with the skillet. Wrap another skillet of the same size with aluminum foil to use as a weight. Place the foil-wrapped skillet on top of the chicken. This will press all of the skin into contact with the hot skillet surface below and give it extra crispness. Adjust the heat so that the chicken is sizzling at medium. The aim is to thoroughly brown and crisp the skin and render some of the fat without burning the skin or overcooking the meat. Lift the weight and check the skin on one of the legs after a few minutes to see how it’s doing. If it’s darkening very quickly, lower the heat a bit. If the skin is still pale, raise it a little. By the time the skin is well browned and crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes, the meat will be nearly cooked through. Remove the weight and carefully turn the legs over; there will be a lot of rendered fat by this point, some of which you can pour or spoon off. Do not replace the weight on the skin side or it will lose its crispness. Cook for a few minutes more to finish the legs, and serve hot.

　　

Variations

Step 3

The boned chicken legs can be cooked on the grill, over a medium fire, under a weight as well.

　　

Step 4

Boneless chicken breasts can be cooked in the same way. The cooking time will be shorter

　　The Art of Simple Food