Brick Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 small chicken, no more than 3.5 pounds
• Selection of chopped fresh herbs
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lemon

Directions

1. Rinse the chicken, then pat it thoroughly dry. Put on latex gloves and spatchcock it by removing the backbone, not the breastbone, with a sharp knife or sturdy kitchen scissors. After the backbone is out, flip the chicken and press gently on the breastbone until it lies flat; a little cracking is normal. If you would rather skip this part, ask your butcher to handle it.
2. Season the chicken generously with salt, then press the chopped herbs onto the skin. Add a little lemon zest too, if that sounds good. Set a heavy oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat with a solid layer of olive oil. The skillet really does need heft here; cast iron is ideal, and nonstick is not the right tool.
3. When the oil is just shy of smoking, lower the chicken carefully into the pan so it sits snugly. Tuck the legs in if you can. Press it down with foil-wrapped bricks, or use a second skillet weighed down with cans. If you use the second skillet, make sure its base is wide enough to push all of the chicken skin against the hot pan, not just the middle.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low; you should hear lively popping as it cooks. Leave the chicken there for about 20 minutes. While it cooks, heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
5. After 20 minutes, take a look at the skin. It should be deep golden and bronzed. Lift carefully so the skin does not stay behind in the skillet; a wooden spoon can help loosen it while keeping it attached to the chicken. If it is not crisp yet, raise the heat and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
6. Turn the chicken so the skin faces up, then move it to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes more, until the juices run clear or the thigh meat has reached a safe temperature. After taking the chicken out to rest, make a quick pan sauce in the skillet with the juice of 1 lemon.