Boundary Road Brick Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the corn on a half sheet tray and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and cool slightly, then shuck the corn and remove the silk. Place a small bowl upside-down inside of a larger bowl. Rest the tip of one ear of corn on the smaller bowl and cut the kernels from the cob, which will fall into the larger bowl, and then repeat for the remaining ears of corn.
• Place half of the kernels in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth. Add the pureed corn and whole kernels to a medium pot set over medium heat, then add the cream and butter, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a pudding-like consistency, about 7 minutes. Finish with the chopped chives and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Place the kale in a bowl and coat with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lay out the kale in a single layer on a full sheet tray, then sprinkle with salt and bake until crispy, 10 minutes. Cool the kale completely.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Using a pair of kitchen sheers, remove the backbone of the chicken and break down into 4 pieces.
• Using either a mortor and pestle or a spice grinder, process the fennel and peppercorns to a coarse powder. Rub the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle liberally with the spice mix and some salt.
• Coat a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium-high heat, just until the oil reaches its smoke point. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan. Place the thyme on and around the chicken in the pan, and then place the foil-wrapped brick on the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove the chicken from the pan and place on a cutting board skin-side up. Drain the fat and the thyme from the pan and set over high heat. Add the chicken stock and the honey, and cook until reduced to a thick glaze, scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Brush the glaze on the chicken and finish with some flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve the chicken with the creamed corn and crispy kale.

Steps:

• Toast cumin, coriander and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over low heat until fragrant. In a clean spice grinder or coffee grinder, blend spices until fine. Add the toasted spices to a bowl with paprika and cayenne. Season with kosher salt. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice.
• Prepare chicken by splitting it down the back and removing the backbone, breast bone and rib cage. Lay the chicken out flat and rub the blended spices all over. Marinate for up to 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet (or other heavy oven-proof pan) over medium-high heat. When hot, add a 2 count of extra-virgin olive oil and place the chicken skin side down in the pan. Cover it with a second cast iron pan (you could also use a more traditional foil-wrapped brick) immediately so the skin doesn't have time to contract. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until chicken is golden brown and has a nice crust. Finish cooking in the oven for a further 20 to 25 minutes. Internal temperature between the leg and thigh should register 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, when cooked through. Serve with Mint Yogurt Dressing and Apricot Couscous.
• While chicken is cooking, combine yogurt, cilantro, mint, green onions, honey, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a blender. Blend until mixture is fully combined and has a smooth consistency.
• In a medium saucepan add a 2 count of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the red onion, apricots and almonds and saute gently over low heat until translucent and slightly fragrant. Add the couscous then dump in the warm chicken broth. Stir with a fork to combine, add lemon zest and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, then uncover and add the scallions, mint, and cilantro. Fluff again with a fork. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
• Serve family-style on a large platter and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Steps:

• Partially debone the chicken halves, removing the wing, backbone and thighbone. Rinse and pat dry. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 30 minutes to dry out the skin.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large nonstick skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat and add the oil and butter. Lay the chicken halves, skin-side down, in the skillet and scatter the thyme around them. Wrap a slightly smaller skillet with foil and place on top of the chicken. Set a large brick or 2 to 3 heavy cans in the skillet to weigh it down.
• Cook the chicken 3 to 5 minutes, then remove the top skillet and check the skin; adjust the heat and rotate the pan as needed so the skin browns evenly. Replace the top skillet and continue to cook until the skin is golden and crisp and the chicken is cooked about three-quarters of the way through, 20 to 25 more minutes. Remove the top skillet and carefully flip the chicken. Cook, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Cut each piece in half to serve.

Steps:

• Place the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down, and using your hands, press down hard to make it as flat as possible. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and rub this all over the chicken. Tuck some of the mixture under the skin as well. If time permits, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to a day (even 20 minutes of marinating boosts the flavor).
• When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Preheat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Press rosemary sprigs, if using, into the skin side of the chicken. Put remaining olive oil in the pan and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up.
• Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, along with any remaining pieces of rosemary and garlic; weight it with another skillet or with one or two bricks or rocks, wrapped in aluminum foil. The idea is to flatten the chicken by applying weight evenly over its surface.
• Cook over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and remove the weights; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast 10 minutes more, or until done (large chickens may take an additional 5 minutes or so). Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.