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Last weekend, I was tidying up my basement and came across a pile of clay bricks. Not an exciting discovery at first, but that changed when I remembered one of the reasons I’ve kept those bricks around: To cook ultra-juicy, crispy-skinned chicken.

That might sound odd ifÌýyou’ve never used bricks to achieve those tasty goals. How theÌýheck, you may ask, could bricks help make a chicken taste even more splendid once cooked?

It’s an old technique that sources suggest originated in places such as Tuscany and Eastern Europe. It’s also not a complex process, once the chicken is prepared for cooking.

To do that, you first need to spatchcock a whole chicken. It’sÌýaÌýmethod in which you cut outÌýthe chicken’s backbone and then press and flatten out the bird. That causes the chicken to cook faster and makes the bird easier to cut once cooked.

Spatchcocking also creates a wide surface you can season, before grilling or roasting the bird.

During cooking, that flattened out chicken begins to shrink a bit, curl and no longer remain flat. To prevent that, at some point in history, a cook decided to set bricks on top of the chicken to weigh it down, keep it flat and help it cook more evenly.

Also, by starting to cook the chicken skin-side down, fat drips down from other parts of the bird and moistens the meat. And, more importantly, because the bird is flat, most of the skin is exposed to the heat of the grill orÌýpan, giving just about every bitÌýa deep, rich colour and crispiness.

My recipe for chicken cookedÌýunder bricks begins byÌýflavouring the bird with a Mediterranean-style blend ofÌýflavourings, such as olive oil,Ìýbalsamic vinegar, lemon zest, garlic, herbs and spices.

I then start cooking the bird on the stovetop in a large and heated skillet, top it with two foil-wrapped bricks, and then transfer the skillet to a 450 F oven. After 30 minutes of cooking, when the bricks have done their job of keeping the chicken flat, they are removed, the chicken turned over, basted with pan juices and roasted 15 to 20 minutes more, or until cooked.

If you don’t have clay bricks, you could buy them at a building supply store. Or you can use something else to weigh down theÌýchicken, such as a large skillet, with its bottom wrapped inÌýfoil.

Chicken Roasted Under BricksÌýÌý

Juicy, crispy skinned chicken with a rich and dark hue thanks to the cooking method and the balsamic vinegar used to flavour the bird. Serve the chicken with polenta, risotto or boiled mini potatoes and a green vegetable, such as wilted kale or chard, or steamed broccolini.

Ìý

Preparation: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 70-75 minutes

Makes: four servings

Ìý

1 (3 1/2 lb.) chicken

4 Tbsp olive oil (divided)

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried rosemary, or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp coarse sea or kosher salt, or to taste

1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper

• lemon wedges, for garnish

• fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Ìý

With kitchen shears or a knife, cutÌýalong either side of the chicken’s backbone and remove. Set the chicken, breast side up,Ìýand firmly press on the chicken toÌýmake it as flat as youÌýcan.

Set the chicken, breast side-up, on a wide plate or large baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine 2ÌýTbsp of the olive oil with the vinegar, lemon zest, oregano, basil, dried or chopped fresh rosemary, paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper. Brush this mixture on the skin-side of the chicken.

Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Now place an oven rack in the lower third position of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Set a large and wide, ovenproof skillet (see Note) over medium-high heat and pour in the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil. When the oil is very hot, set in the chicken, skin-side down. Brush the top of chicken with any of the olive oil mixture left on the plate. Top the chicken with two, foil-wrapped clay bricks and cook on the stovetop 2 minutes.

Carefully lift the skillet off the stovetop and place in the oven. Roast brick-topped chicken for 30Ìýminutes. Carefully remove the bricks. Turn the chicken skin-side up; baste with the pan juices. Roast 15 to 20 minutes more, or until cooked through. (When cooked an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 F/74 C). Rest the chicken 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into portions, setting on platter, and garnishing with lemon wedges and rosemary springs, if using.

Note: My skillet was 13 inches wide. If you don’t have a skillet that large, you could cook the chicken in a sturdy, shallow sided roasting pan, one that can be usedÌýon the stovetop and in the oven.

Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His latest is The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.