Try John DeLucie’s recipe for chicken under a brick

Video: Want poultry perfection? Grab a brick!

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   >>> this morning in today's holiday kitchen, under a brick. the name maybe strange but it is a classic comfort italian dish and a real crowd pleaser. john delucie is the executive chef and owner of the royal restaurant at the raleigh hotel in the south. newest restaurant, congratulations.

   >> thank you very much. the lion.

   >> the royal.

   >> you are busy.

   >> it's a busy guy.

   >> tell me about the royal.

   >> the royal is in the beautiful raleigh hotel.

   >> south beach .

   >> and though not very warm there right now --

   >> no, i know.

   >> great to be there, a lot of fun.

   >> all right. great.

   >> back and forth from miami to new york.

   >> tell me about this dish. this is something that is sort of a classic italian.

   >> yes, this is -- well, we -- you know, go to your house, pick out a brick, like al said, cover it with foil. so easy. i took it, a beautiful, organic, hormone-free all-natural chicken.

   >> right.

   >> and i have just some garlic.

   >> split down the middle, right?

   >> all the bones, except for the thigh and the leg bone he is.

   >> keep that in there?

   >> nice to cook things on the bone.

   >> split it like that add the herbs and garlic in there. what kind of herbs did you use?

   >> rosemary and garlic and some salt.

   >> wow.

   >> and some fresh pepper. and --

   >> the smell is unbelievable here. awesome.

   >> you look very glamorous today.

   >> i can cook. i'm glamorous for you.

   >> very nice.

   >> great.

   >> and you can see here, show you the skin is just flawless and beautiful. i want to keep it that way.

   >> you want to have the skin, you want it to get the flavoring and the crispiness?

   >> the crispiness the key to this dish what the brick will do. i will put this in here, should sizzle. just like that.

   >> love that sound.

   >> what i want to do also, i want to add a little bit of butter at this point.

   >> okay. didn't give me butter that is okay.

   >> a little more butter, more flavor.

   >> that guy, right on top.

   >> you there go.

   >> you hear that sound?

   >> you just lay it right on top and let it go for a bit?

   >> let it go for a bit. going to go for about 15 or 20 minutes , medium heat. you can see here, we move over a little bit, this is what it should look like.

   >> that's great.

   >> nice. it has flattened out.

   >> flip it both sides.

   >> i'm going to go into the oven, ready to go cook it, show you what it might look like if i can do that right over, not screw it up.

   >> there you go.

   >> see how shiny and crispy? and to go with this, we are going to prepare a gratn a japanese mandolin. i had milk steeping, i put in some thyme, some cinnamon, some cardamom pads and you can do this for me -- nutmeg.

   >> are regular milk, extra zest?

   >> yeah.

   >> right there?

   >> and you get all the flavors of the holiday.

   >> right. okay. potatoes?

   >> i peeled them, really thin. i have the mandolin, very, very careful. i have gotten many stitches over the years with this mandolin.

   >> oh oh. just layering -- and this is something you do in little casserole dishes?

   >> exactly. use this cast iron here.

   >> okay.

   >> running out of time . going to lay it on there. create a couple of different layers?

   >> exactly. add the milk.

   >> add the mill income there and show you what it looks like over here.

   >> hello. hello.

   >> speed it up.

   >> come on, people.

   >> our chicken with a brick.

   >> you added the rosemary, too.

   >> squeeze lemon on top.

   >> yeah.

   >> here is the potatoes.

   >> john used an organic brick.

   >> yeah.

   >> organic house. exactly. going to say that.

   >> john delucie, thank you. we are going to dig right in. my gosh this is great, happy holiday to us.

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