Crisp, Brick-Fried Chicken

The hardest part of this is just making sure the chicken is done cooking. You ideally season it an hour before cooking, so give yourself some time. It's about 10 minutes of work and 25 minutes of unattended cooking time. Serves 3-4

1 whole chicken or about 3 lb chicken pieces

1 Tbs coarse salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 large sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme (but you can use dried to taste)

1 Tbs olive oil

1/4 C dry white wine or balsamic vinegar (opt)

pinch of sugar (opt)

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. If you have already cut the chicken into pieces, skip to step 3. Place chicken, breast-side-down, on a work surface. With kitchen shears, cut through the bones along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Trim off any excess neck skin.

2. Spread the bird open, skin-side-up, on the counter and press down firmly against the breast bone with the palms of your hands to break and flatten it. Tuck the wings back and under themselves so they lie flat against the breast. Or, cut off the wing tips and discard.

3. Season the bird at least an hour (unrefrigerated) or up to 24 hours (refrigerated, but brought to room temperature with 1 hour to go) before cooking. Sprinkle the bird on both sides with kosher salt and pepper. Press herbs against both sides.

4. Heat a large, nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. blot the bird dry with paper towels and place, skin-side-up, in the pan. Place a skillet, about 2 inches smaller in diameter, directly on top of the chicken. If you don't have a heavy enough pan -- 3 to 4 pounds -- add heavy objects to weigh the pan down. A couple of cans work nicely. Cook the chicken until the underside is brown, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the weight and turn the chicken over with a pair of tongs. Replace the weight. Continue cooking until the skin is crisp and brown, 12-20 minutes longer. To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the inside of the thigh; it should read 170 degrees. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.

5. If desired, make a simple pan sauce: Pour off all but about 1 tsp of the fat in the pan. Set the pan over med-low heat and add the wine/vinegar, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve the caramelized juices. Cook until the wine is mellow and has no trace of alcohol taste, about 1 minute. Remove the herbs (if whole) and adjust seasoning as desired.

6. With a chef's knife, cut the chicken into pieces. Arrange on plates. Spoon pan sauce over. Serve immediately.