Chef Graziella
Cotoletta di Pollo alla Milanese
The golden cutlet of Lombardy, where chicken is pounded thin, coated in the finest crumbs, and fried in butter until it shatters at the touch of a fork. Lemon is the only adornment it needs.
Culinary Explorer
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Pollo al Mattone
Created by
Tuscan farmhouse chicken pressed flat under terra cotta until the skin crackles like parchment and the meat stays impossibly juicy. The weight does the work. You stay out of the way.
Main Dishes
Italian, Tuscan
Dinner Party
BBQ
Outdoor Dining
20 min
Active Time
45 min cook•1 hr 5 min total
Yield4 servings
Pollo al mattone is physics, not recipes. The weight forces every inch of skin against the hot pan. Maximum contact, maximum crispness. Tuscan farm wives understood this centuries before anyone wrote cookbooks. They cooked over open fires with whatever was heavy: a stone, a brick from the hearth, an iron weight. The method has not changed because it does not need to change.
Americans ruin chicken by fussing with it. They flip too soon, lift lids to peek, adjust and readjust. This dish demands that you do nothing. Place the weight. Walk away. The chicken crisps while you set the table. When you return, the skin will be golden and shattering, the meat beneath still succulent from the pressing.
The seasoning is Tuscan in its restraint: olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt. Nothing more. The garlic perfumes the fat without overwhelming. The rosemary speaks but does not shout. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in. A chicken prepared this way needs nothing else.
Tuscan farmers have cooked chicken under weights since at least the Renaissance, when poultry was reserved for special occasions and every technique aimed to maximize flavor from precious ingredients. The terra cotta bricks used to build bread ovens doubled as cooking weights, giving the dish its name: chicken under a brick. The method spread from farmhouses to Florentine trattorias in the 20th century, where it remains a menu staple.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
whole chicken
Quantity
1 (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/4 cup
garlic cloves
Quantity
4
smashed
fresh rosemary
Quantity
3 sprigs
kosher salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground
lemon
Quantity
1
cut into wedges
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| whole chicken | 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pounds) |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/4 cup |
| garlic clovessmashed | 4 |
| fresh rosemary | 3 sprigs |
| kosher salt | 1 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/2 teaspoon |
| lemoncut into wedges | 1 |
Equipment Needed
- •12-inch cast iron skillet
- •Two foil-wrapped bricks or a second heavy skillet for weight
- •Kitchen shears for spatchcocking
- •Instant-read thermometer
Instructions
- 1
Spatchcock the chicken
Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it completely. Turn the chicken over and press down firmly on the breastbone with the heel of your hand until you hear it crack. The bird should lie flat. This is not optional. A chicken that is not flat cannot cook properly under a weight.
Save the backbone for stock. Tuscan home cooks waste nothing. A freezer bag of bones becomes soup in winter. - 2
Season the bird
Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. Wet skin does not crisp. Rub the entire bird, both sides, with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, working it into the skin and under it where you can. Tuck the rosemary sprigs and smashed garlic under the bird. The chicken should rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Cold chicken in a hot pan steams instead of sears.
- 3
Prepare the weight
Wrap two bricks in heavy aluminum foil, or use a cast iron skillet slightly smaller than your cooking pan. The weight must be heavy enough to press the chicken flat against the hot surface. A light weight accomplishes nothing. This is the entire point of the dish.
- 4
Sear the skin side
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add two tablespoons of olive oil. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan. Immediately place the weight on top, pressing firmly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook without moving for 25 minutes. Do not lift the weight to check. Do not fidget. The skin is developing a golden crust through sustained contact with the hot pan.
You will smell the skin crisping. You may hear it crackling. This is how you know it is working. Trust the process. - 5
Finish the second side
Remove the weight. The skin should be deeply golden and crackling. If it is pale, your heat was too low. Flip the chicken using tongs and a spatula, working carefully. Replace the weight. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and the juices run clear when pierced.
- 6
Rest before serving
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest for 10 minutes. This is essential. The juices must redistribute through the meat. Cut the chicken into serving pieces: separate the legs at the joint, halve the breast. Arrange on a warm platter with lemon wedges. Drizzle with any pan juices. Serve immediately.
Chef Tips
- •A cast iron skillet placed on top of the chicken works as well as traditional bricks. What matters is sustained, even pressure. The weight should be at least five pounds.
- •Do not marinate the chicken. Marinades add moisture that prevents crisping. The oil and seasonings applied just before cooking are sufficient.
- •If cooking over a grill, the technique is the same. Place the chicken skin-side down over medium coals, weight it, and resist the urge to move it. The smoke adds another dimension.
- •The chicken must be at room temperature before cooking. Thirty minutes on the counter is not a suggestion. Cold meat causes the pan temperature to drop, and you will steam instead of sear.
Advance Preparation
- •The chicken can be spatchcocked and seasoned up to 24 hours ahead. Refrigerate uncovered on a rack, which dries the skin further and improves crisping.
- •Bring the chicken to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. This step cannot be skipped.
- •Leftover pollo al mattone is excellent cold the next day, though the skin softens. Some prefer it sliced over salad greens with a squeeze of lemon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 210g)
Calories
590 calories
Total Fat
39 g
Saturated Fat
10 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
26 g
Cholesterol
185 mg
Sodium
305 mg
Total Carbohydrates
1 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
57 g
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