Gherkin Roasted Under a Brick

Votes: 3

How to Make - Brick-Roasted Gherkin Chickens

Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Roasting under a brick allows you to cook whole chickens in a pan so they cook evenly and look fresh, just like they came out of the oven. A brick wrapped in foil acts as a weight, but you can also use a heavy cast-iron skillet. Before roasting, the chickens are butterflyed and soaked overnight in a fragrant brine with lemon, garlic, and herbs. This infuses the chicken with Mediterranean flavor, leaving the meat incredibly juicy. Also, be sure to thoroughly dry the chicken skin before roasting to ensure it's perfectly crispy. Serve the chickens with two very different, yet delicious, sauces: Spanish romesco and Argentine chimichurri.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Chicken

2 gherkins (weighing 0.7 - 0.8 kg each)
2 tbsp. l. olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-5 sprigs of thyme
6 cloves garlic (unpeeled), crushed
Romesco and chimichurri sauces, for serving (see recipe below)

Brine

1 lemon, cut in half
6 sprigs of tarragon
6 sprigs of parsley
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 tsp black peppercorns

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Prepare the brineIn a large saucepan, combine 7 liters of water with 1/3 cup of salt and bring to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves. Remove from heat. Add the lemon halves, tarragon, parsley, garlic, bay leaf, and peppercorns; let cool completely.
Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Turn the chicken breast-side up and open it so the legs are facing outward; press firmly on top to flatten the chicken. Submerge the chicken in the brine and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours.

Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse thoroughly with water; pat dry. Place breast-side up in a baking dish and refrigerate, uncovered, to dry the skin for at least 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the chicken with salt. Wrap 2 bricks in foil. Heat 2 large cast-iron or nonstick skillets over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter each. Place a chicken skin-side down in each skillet and scatter the garlic and thyme around. Weight each chicken with a foil-wrapped brick and cook until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating the skillets as needed for even cooking.
Remove the bricks and carefully turn the chickens over (the bricks are no longer needed); continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F (74°C), another 20-25 minutes. Cut each chicken in half and serve with romesco and chimichurri sauces.
Romesco sauce

Toss 8 oz. plum tomatoes and 4 cloves garlic (unpeeled) with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt; spread on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until soft, 20 minutes; let cool, then squeeze the garlic out of its skins. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, 3/4 cup chopped roasted peppers, 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl with 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil.
Chimichurri sauce

Place 6 garlic cloves (unpeeled) on a sheet of foil; drizzle with olive oil and seal to form a parcel. Roast in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until soft, 20 minutes; let cool, then squeeze the garlic out of the skins and mash to make a paste. Combine 1 bunch basil (thinly sliced), 1 bunch finely chopped parsley, 1/4 bunch finely chopped oregano, 1/3 cup sherry vinegar, 2 finely chopped shallots, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and black pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil.