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ArcaMax Publishing > Home & Garden > Recipes > Recipes by Zola

Chicken Under a Brick

Where to Eat Before it's too Late...

You people are an inspiration. Sometimes you write me to ask for recipe ideas. Sometimes you just write to say hello and let me know how a column affected you or made you laugh. And then there are times when you write to me about something that makes ME think. This column is about one of those emails I received last week.

The email started off with a reader who said she and her group travel to Chicago every year and they always struggle over which restaurants they are going to eat at while here. This is when I know I have a real group of "foodies" on my hands. Most people come to a conference and either eat at the conference or just wander out of the facility and find food.

Not these people. They want to dine. They want to soak up the atmosphere. They want to enjoy the authentic Chicago. I commend them.

In the email the woman asked me to recommend some restaurants. They figured that if Zola lives in Chicago she ought to make a pretty good restaurant recommendation source; comprehensive even. And they would be right! I used to tell people I've eaten my way from one end of this city to the other. I used to say that when I was skinny. Now I don't think it sounds so good, but I still feel the emotion. I am proud of so many things Chicago has to offer and I'd put our culinary prowess up against even the most highly touted food centers in the world. News Flash!: Chicago's Stephanie Izard just won America's Top Chef competition! Stephanie used to own a little bistro down the street from my place. It was called Scylla, and my husband and I were big fans.

Anyway, back to the restaurants. I wrote back asking her to narrow her request. I could spend an afternoon giving restaurant recommendations. I could do it by cuisine type. I could do it based on budget. I could do it by neighborhood location. I could do it by featuring the newest or even the venerable. You get my drift. I needed to be narrowed down. Then I'd be prepared to shoot off a list.

Her email came back later that afternoon. She asked for American steak houses and Italian. Chicago used to be the "butcher capital to the world" so beef made perfect sense. Italian, as she pointed out, is universally loved, so everyone would be happy with Italian restaurants. Then she added the kicker that really made me think. She said, "Zola, if you found out you had to move and you could only eat at three Chicago restaurants before you had to ship out and never return, which places would you pick?"

I was blown away. No one had ever set me up with a challenge like that one before. I really had to think. My easy way out was to answer her steak request and then her Italian request so that was 7 or 8 restaurants that I could type up in a flash. I was stopped dead by her last request. I realized it was one of the most difficult food-related decisions I could make. I interpreted it to be, "If you could only eat three more dinners in your life, and you had to eat them in Chicago restaurants, which ones would you pick?" It sent me into a tizzy.

My brain went into overdrive. First I focused on the ones I had already given her in the Italian and steak categories. I had to ask myself, if I were picking the last three, would any on those lists make my final? Then my mind started racing all over town. As my brain settled on each restaurant, the menu came into focus and I tried to factor in what I'd order so I knew if that was a perfect choice.

I realized a couple of things that were new to me. I decided, that as a good cook myself, I could get lots of good food. What was going to be a deciding factor in the myriad of good, and even fabulous, Chicago restaurants was going to be the atmosphere. My mind started conjuring up the smells, the music, the lighting, how comfortable the seating is , the service- all of these things more than the food. Interesting observation for a food writer, I thought. The creativity of the menu was important, and did they branch out beyond things that I'd cook in my own kitchen? Or did that matter?

What I wanted was all of those things clustered into one restaurant. Or at least three.

And you know what? In the final analysis and the time allowed, I couldn't do it. I gave her three and gave her my reasoning but I told her I really needed time to visit about 50 or I was always going to feel like I had left something behind.

Then I took it another step, and I'm going to invite you to do this too. I took my internal conversation to cocktail hour. I had a few minutes with my husband before I had to head off to a business dinner. I was sitting with him on our roof deck as the sun was fading and I told him the story of the email and I followed it up with the question, "Which three would you pick?"

Right away he turned it back on me. "Which did you choose? He wanted to know". "You're not getting off that easy", I said. "You give me your list first and then I'll share mine". Dead silence. Then he started trying to guess mine instead of being forced to pick his own. It was the funniest thing to watch. Very interesting. No giggling. I had to just let him fight with it. And oddly enough, his list didn't match mine; although just about every restaurant I've eaten in, I've eaten in with him. He knows my tastes and I know his, but our lists didn't match.

So here's my challenge to you. At the dinner table, or even better, at a dinner party with friends, pose the question. Unless your town only has three restaurants, I bet this will make for interesting conversation. It's not politics, but it's a conversation that can generate some passionate consideration as each person lobbies for their favorite restaurants and why they've chosen them.

Good luck and feel free to report out at: Zolacooks@gmail.com

Today's recipe was inspired by the woman's inquiry. It got me thinking about what I want to eat if each meal might be my last one. One of my favorite French Bistro dishes is Chicken Under a Brick. I decided I had to figure out how to make it myself. Most places make it in a wood burning oven. I don't have one so I had to make adjustments. It worked. I hope you like it and enjoy it soon.

Cheers,
Zola

P.S. Remember a while back, when the readership of this newsletter hit 500,000 subscribers? I challenged you at that time to help me grow the list to a million subscribers by year end. Well, the half way point is here. I just got news that we have more than 700,000 subscribers now! So, tell your friends. Send them the link to sign up. Let's get this viral marketing thing really rolling! And for those already accustomed to sending your friends my way to read Zola, Thank You!

Chicken Under a Brick
Serves 2 --but can be easily multiplied

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

Advance prep: This dish calls from some equipment from the garden. You actually do need a brick or flat rock that you have cleaned, dried and covered thoroughly in aluminum foil. The weight on top of the chicken while it's cooking is what makes the fabulous, crispy crust. For the pan I use cast iron. You need something sturdy and non-stick that can handle 400 degree heat in your oven. One option instead of a brick is to use another, smaller cast iron pan and rest it on top of the chicken instead of the brick. Most folks who have one cast iron pan have a set of them so this is definitely an option.

I promise, this is worth it. This will be the crispiest, and moistest chicken you've ever had.

Ingredients:
2 organic chicken breast halves with bone in, skin on. (Traditional Chicken Under a Brick recipes would call for half chickens; including dark meat but for dietary purposes let's just focus on white meat)
Olive oil spray
1/2 tsp of chopped herbs. I just use the Italian blend from a jar
2 Tbl of olive oil
Salt (preferably sea salt)

You'll need an oven-proof pan. I use my medium cast iron pan for this dish. You need a pan that can go from stove top to oven and this one is perfect. Don't try to use a non-stick pan. It won't work.

Wash and thoroughly dry your chicken pieces. Spray the skin side with olive oil spray and then dust with your Italian herbs/spices or chopped herbs. Now grate a generous amount of sea salt over the skin side of the chicken. The secret to this dish is the crusty topping the chicken will have and French Bistro cooking is not afraid of salt on special occasions. You choose when to stop grating the salt. You know your taste.

Heat the 2 Tbl of olive oil in your pan on medium high. When it's hot but not burning add the chicken, skin-side down. It will immediately start to spit and bubble. Cover with your brick or another cast iron pan. You need weight on the chicken. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook on medium- low for 12 - 15 minutes. During this time the fat in the chicken skin will break down and help form your crust. It will give you a texture sort of like crispy-fried bacon. The fat on the oil with the pressure is where the magic occurs.

After the time has passed carefully remove your weight and turn your chicken over. Set the weight aside, safely, and transfer your chicken to the oven. Bake at 375 for another 12 - 15 minutes. Check the chicken to make sure it's done by putting a small slice into the thickest part. The juices should be clear; not pink. The time needed will depend on how large your chicken breast pieces are. I use large ones for this simple dish.

I serve this with simple, fork-smashed, boiled red potatoes topped with butter and zucchini cut into chunks and sauteed in a drizzle Italian salad dressing and olive oil. Authentic, twice as fast as a regular roasted chicken and crispy and juicy. Let me say it again. Crispy and juicy. Serve immediately. If you wait you'll start to lose the crispy.

Send email to Zola at zolacooks@gmail.com.



This news arrived on: 07/07/2008

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