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Entrees » Tuscan Grilled Chicken Under a Brick

A chicken dish, made special with Tuscan-inspired herbs, gets grilled under bricks. The first step is getting it grill-ready and Kathy Gunst shows you how in Butterfying a Chicken. Next, a simple marinade locks in flavor. Then fire up the grill, wrap a couple of bricks in some foil, and the let the flavors of Tuscany do their thing.

Print Recipe

Serves 4-6

Recipe reprinted with permission from "Stonewall Kitchen Grilling," by Kathy Gunst, Jonathan King, and Jim Stott

Ingredients

3½ lb whole chicken, butterflied*
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tsp grated lemon zest
sprinkle of sweet Hungarian paprika

Garnish

1 lemon, cut into wedges
fresh sprigs of thyme & rosemary

Special Equipment

grill
2 bricks or heavy ovenproof skillet
foil

How-to

Marinate the Chicken

Place the butterflied chicken in a non-reactive pan or bowl and sprinkle with the oil, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, and a generous sprinkling of paprika
Flip the chicken over and make sure it's coated well with the marinade on both sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (24 hours ideal)

Grill & Serve

Remove the chicken and let come to room temperature
Light a grill over high heat, about 425º
Cover 2 clean bricks with aluminum foil and place over the hot heat. (If you don't have access to bricks use a heavy, ovenproof skillet.) Let the bricks warm up for about 3 minutes or until very hot
If using a gas grill turn the heat down to low on one side of the grill. If using charcoal push more than half the charcoal to one side, to create two heat zones: one very hot and one low
Remove the chicken from the pan and let excess oil drip off. You can also blot it dry with a paper towel on both sides
Place the chicken, skin side down, on the hottest part of the grill. Cook for 2 minutes. Using a spatula or tongs, gently flip the chicken over and grill bone side down for 2 minutes
Transfer the chicken, skin side down, to the part of the grill that has the lower heat, and place the hot bricks on top of the chicken. Cover and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the juices run yellow and not pink when tested with a small, sharp knife
Remove from the grill and serve with lemon wedges and sprigs of rosemary and thyme