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Lemon and Za’atar Chicken Under a Brick
This chicken under a brick was inspired by a perennial favorite at Oleana restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Chef Ana Sortun creates a roulade of both light and dark meat, seasoned with lemon confit and wrapped in chicken skin that renders and crisps perfectly cooked under a weight. For our simplified version, we spatchcock a whole bird, then slip softened butter mixed with lemon zest and sumac between the skin and meat. In a skillet and pressed with a heavy pot, the skin side of the chicken browns beautifully before the bird is flipped and finished in the oven.
4
Servings
Don’t forget to pat the chicken dry before placing it in the skillet. The drier the skin, the better the browning and the less splatter. To help the fat render, be sure to lower the heat to medium immediately after the chicken goes into the pan.
2 hours
50 minutes active
Ingredients
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4
tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
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2
tablespoons grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
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01In a small bowl, stir the butter, zest and sumac. Place the chicken breast down on a cutting board. With sturdy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone, end to end. Remove and discard the backbone. Spread open the chicken, then turn it breast up. With the heel of your hand, press firmly on the thickest part of the breast until the wishbone snaps.