Chicken Under a Brick (Or a Pan of Water)

Hey friends!!  I haven’t food blogged in a while. Don’t worry, we are still eating here. Usually three times a day. My husband asks why we use so much water and why our appliances are constantly wearing out…because we USE them. I dream of a beautiful kitchen, with state of the art appliances. I would ACTUALLY use them.

Last week sometime when it was nice out, I made Chicken Under a Brick. It’s a favorite, it has about four ingredients to it and it’s DELICIOUS! I’ve made this about 20 times and it’s always fantastic. Last week I NEARLY burned it..that’s what happens when you think you are really good at something, you burn the chicken to humble yourself. 😉

Preheat the oven to 450 degree Fahrenheit

Using the flat side of a knife, gently crush 3-4 garlic cloves.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper on both sides. I ran out of pepper last week, so we are using the shaker. I’ve been to the store about four times and can’t seem to remember. (I used 6 chicken thighs. I think you could use any cut of chicken. Mixing would be fine, too!!)

In a large nonstick pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken, skin side down and the crushed garlic. (I just sprinkle it on the chicken.)

Loosely cover the pan with foil.

Fill a large, heavy pot halfway with water. Place the pot on top of the foil, and press down. Cook the chicken, ocassionally pressing down for 20-26 minutes. (Check your chicken. I have a burner that gets very hot, very fast. If that is the case for you, too, you may need to adjust the temperature and/or the cooking time. Also, if you are using smaller cuts of chicken, or chicken without a bone, this will cook faster.)

Cook until the chicken is crispy and golden brown. Awesome smells SHOULD be filling your kitchen. I was cooking away and probably doing dishes, laundry, painting the house (kidding on the laundry part..we don’t dirty clothes.) All of a sudden a burning smell was happening (this has never happened!) and simultaneously I hear a loud crash in the living room. Being the better mom than cook, I let the chicken burn and saved the baby. Somehow the baby had pulled the ladder that holds the blankets down and now had a small bloody nose. The chicken was a little black, the kitchen was smokin’, and the baby was stuck on my hip for the next 30 minuets. All turned out fine!

While the chicken is cooking (or burning), peel the carrots and cut into 1 inch thick pieces.

Halve the potatoes, then cut crosswise into thick pieces.

This next step is OPTIONAL. My kids don’t want any flavor, and maybe you don’t either. In that case, skip this step!!

I put about 1-2 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning into a bowl and stirred in 2 tablespoons of water.

Place the carrots and potatoes on a sheet pan. If it looks like my carrots are skimpy..they are. I only had 4. Too bad, I’d already thawed the chicken, this was happening. The carrots are my favorite, so if you are like me, use 10 carrots if you have them!! Drizzle with Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Make sure the veggies are in a single layer.

Roast 19-21 minutes, or until brown and tender. Remove from oven and season with salt and pepper.

To finish the chicken, remove the pot and foil. Flip the chicken and cook, uncovered 6-8 minutes. Turn the heat off.

Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the Italian Seasoning and water. Season with Salt and Pepper.

The dresssing is optional for your chicken and veggies.