Under a Tuscan brick

Mention spatchcocking to someone and their eyebrows may arch. Their shoulders may shrug in a questioning pose.

Spatchcock sounds like a word our mothers wouldn’t approve of. But it’s not the least bit risqué. Honest.

It’s a dandy culinary technique that turns whole poultry from something that is awkward to grill into something flat and manageable.

The backbone is removed and the bird is opened like a book. Delectably crisp skin is the result once bird meets grill, especially if the chicken is grilled weighted with bricks.

"Spatchcocking a bird means that you can get a maximum amount of surface area directly on the grill," says grilling guru Steven Raichlen, author of seven grilling cookbooks, including "How To Grill" (Workman, $29.95). "More edible parts of the chicken get exposed to the fire. In my business it’s all about surface char. The caramelization of meat protein is where much of the flavor resides."

So what about those bricks?

Pollo al mattone, the Italian dish that grills spatchcocked chicken under bricks, creates an even crisper exterior while keeping the meat inside moist and juicy. Raichlen credits the crispness to the "compression factor" created when bricks weight chicks against the grate. And the bricks on top act as a partial cover to keep moisture from escaping.

He says that both the Romans and the Florentines like to take credit for inventing the technique. Most cookbooks weigh in with the Florentines, dubbing the dish Tuscan Chicken Under A Brick. Yes, the dish has Italian roots, but it seems to be a perfect dish for July Fourth. Simple, but delicious.

"The Tuscans like to keep things simple," Raichlen says, listing the ingredients for the marinade: fresh lemon juice, olive oil, dried red pepper flakes, chopped fresh rosemary, chopped garlic, salt and pepper. "The restaurants in Florence often use a metal press instead of bricks; it’s a sort of thick shiny slab of steel with metal handles on it. But that’s down on the coolness factor. Bricks covered with aluminum foil are cooler."

He warned me that American chickens are fattier than Italian chickens, so I’d need to have a good-sized area on my kettle-style barbecue with lower heat where the bird could be moved when flare-ups occur.

OVER THE COALS

After experimenting with several spatchcocked test-pilot fryers, I decided the best approach was to place the lighted charcoal on one side of the barbecue, leaving a little over 1/3 of the barbecue firefree (the charcoal briquettes are lit in a chimney starter, a metal cylinder with a handle which is fueled with crumpled newspaper).

The bird goes skin side-down over the hot side of the grill. Using long tongs, I jockey the marinated bird between the hot and cooler sides as flareups occur. I do this back-and forth dance for five to seven minutes. Then I place the chicken on the cooler side and place two or three individual, foil-wrapped bricks atop it.

The chicken stays there for 15 minutes. Then the bricks are removed, the meat is turned and placed on the hot side of the grill and covered again with the foil-wrapped bricks, which are turned over so a clean side of the foil faces the meat. The chicken cooks for another 20 minutes. Then I drop a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary onto the coals, cover the rig and let the rosemary-scented smoke surround the bird for five to 10 minutes.

To test for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching bone). It should read about 180 degrees. Voila.

And if you chicken out spatchcock-wise, Raichlen says you can use the underbrick technique with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. That’s a fast, easy and delicious alternative. But it’s a little way down on the hipness scale.

ON THE GAS GRILL

In "Weber’s Big Book of Grilling" (Chronicle, $22.95), author Jamie Purviance suggests cutting the bird in half after removing the backbone. He says to grill marinated chicken halves skin side down, weighted with foil-covered bricks, over indirect heat (consult your gas grill’s manual to find out how to do indirect grilling).

Grill 30 to 40 minutes, then turn and grill two to five minutes to crisp the underside.

An instant-read thermometer should read about 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh (don’t touch bone). Easy.

As for side dishes, grilled Italian vegetables are simple to prepare and team beautifully with the bird. Try some grilled fresh fennel or a grilled pepper salad with fresh basil and pine nuts.

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RECIPES

SPATCHCOCKED CHICKEN GRILLED UNDER BRICKS

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, spatchcocked (see step-by-step directions)

2 to 3 bricks

Aluminum foil

Marinade:

1 teaspoon coarse salt, such as kosher

1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For brushing grate: vegetable oil or canola oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Garnish: 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Optional garnish: sprigs of fresh rosemary

Procedure: Place chicken in 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In separate bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Pour marinade on chicken and rub ingredients on both sides of chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 12 hours. Wrap bricks in aluminum foil.

Have ready: Long-handled barbecue tongs and barbecue mitts. Arrange hot charcoal briquettes on one side of kettle-style barbecue, leaving 1/3 of area without briquettes. Add grill grate and brush grate with vegetable oil or canola oil. Hold chicken over dish so excess marinade runs back into dish. Place chicken skin-side down on grate over coals. When flare-ups occur, shift chicken to cool side of barbecue. When flames die down, return chicken to hot side of grill. Do this back-and-forth shifting for 5 to 8 minutes. Move chicken to cooler charcoal-free side of grill. Cover chicken with bricks. Grill 15 minutes.

Turn chicken skin-side up and place on hot side of grill. Cover with bricks and grill 20 minutes.

Drop 2 sprigs of rosemary onto coals. Cover barbecue with lid (vents open). Grill 5 to 10 minutes. To test for doneness, insert instant-read thermometer in thickest part of thigh (not touching bone). It should read about 180 degrees.

Allow chicken to rest 5 to 8 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Serve garnished with lemon wedges and, if desired, sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 196 (20 percent from fat), protein 33 g, carbohydrates 2 g, fat 3.5 g (saturated 2.5 g), cholesterol 75 mg, sodium 460 mg, fiber 1.1g

Source: Marinade from "How To Grill" by Steven Raichlen (Workman, $19.95)

BONED, SKINNED CHICKEN BREASTS GRILLED UNDER BRICKS

Yield: 4 servings

4 chicken (half) breasts (boneless, skinless), each 6 to 8 ounces

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 bricks wrapped in aluminum foil

Oak chunks for building fire or 2 cups wood chips (preferably oak) soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover, then drained
Vegetable oil or canola oil for brushing grate

Procedure: Trim excess fat or sinew off chicken breasts. Rinse under cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle breasts on both sides with salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Sprinkle with garlic and rosemary, patting on with fingers. Arrange breasts in non-reactive baking dish. Pour on lemon juice and olive oil; let marinate in refrigerator, covered, for 30 to 60 minutes, turning several times.

Have ready: Long-handled barbecue tongs and barbecue mitts. Set up grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. In the best of all worlds, you'd build your fire with oak chunks. Alternatively, use gas or charcoal, plus soaked wood chips for smoke. If using gas grill, place all wood chips in smoker box or in a smoker pouch (an open box made with aluminum foil) and preheat until you see smoke.

When ready to cook, brush grate with vegetable or canola oil. If using charcoal grill, toss wood chips on coals. Arrange chicken breasts on hot grate, all at a 45-degree angle to the bars of the grate. Place a brick on top of each. Grill until cooked, 4 to 6 minutes per side, rotating breasts at 90 degrees after 2 minutes on each side to create attractive cross-hatch grill marks. To test for doneness, poke a breast in the thickest part with your finger. It should feel firm to the touch. Transfer to platter and serve at once.

Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 196 (20 percent from fat), protein 33 g, carbohydrates 2 g, fat 3.5 g (saturated 2.5 g), cholesterol 75 mg, sodium 460 mg, fiber 1.1 g

Source: How To Grill" by Steven Raichlen (Workman, $19.95)

GRILLED BELL PEPPER SALAD

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

2 red bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

2 yellow bell peppers

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, or more to taste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts; see cook's notes

Cook's notes: To toast pine nuts, place them in small skillet over medium heat. Shake handle to redistribute pine nuts as they lightly brown. Watch carefully because they burn easily.

Procedure: Preheat grill. Place peppers on grate and grill until skins are charred on all sides, turning with tongs, about 4 to 6 minutes per side (about 16 to 24 minutes in all). Place in baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make dressing. Place garlic and salt in bowl and mash to paste with back of wooden spoon. Add vinegar and lemon juice; whisk until salt dissolves. Whisk in oil, basil and pine nuts.
Using tip of paring knife, scrape the burned skin off peppers and cut flesh off core. Cut into quarters or strips and arrange pepper pieces on platter, alternating pieces of different colors. Stir dressing and spoon over peppers. Serve right away or let it sit for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.

Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 180 (22 percent from fat), protein 4.8 g, carbohydrates 31 g, fat 4.4 g (saturated 0.5 g), cholesterol 15 mg, sodium 360 mg, fiber 2.8 g

Source: How To Grill" by Steven Raichlen (Workman, $19.95)

GRILLED FENNEL

Yield: 4 servings

4 small or 2 large fresh fennel bulbs (sometimes labeled anise), about 2 pounds

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 small shallots, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure: Cut stalks and outside leaves off fennel. Cut each bulb lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide slices.
Combine oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, shallots and tarragon in large non-reactive bowl and whisk to combine. Add fennel and toss to coat. Cover and marinate 2 hours (not necessary to refrigerate).

Preheat grill. Remove fennel from marinade (reserve marinade) and grill until tender-crisp, about 8 to 16 minutes, turning frequently with tongs. Toss with reserved marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional information (per servings): Calories 195 (24 percent from fat), protein 2 g, carbohydrates 35.5 g, fat 5.2 g (saturated 1.1 g), cholesterol 14 mg, sodium 381 mg, fiber 2.9 g

Source: The Barbecue Bible" by Steven Raichlen (Workman, $18.95)