Galletto al Mattone.

Name: Galletto al Mattone
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 small chicken, about 700 g; 2 Zweige fresh rosemary; 2 garlic cloves; 1 lemon, juiced; 1 heavy brick wrapped in aluminum foil; 80 ml extra virgin olive oil for the salsa; 2 red onions, cut into rings, 1 cm thick; 2 Bund spring onions, trimmed and washed; 2 red and green pepperonis (little peppers); 1/2 Bund parsley; 1 Handvoll garlic; 1/2 lemon, zested; some salt, freshly ground pepper

Galletto al Mattone

Poultry

Italian tradition: small chickens are weighed down with a brick when grilling - this keeps the meat moist and juicy.

In Italy, young chickens (roosters) are traditionally grilled: here we grill them al mattone according to the age-old tradition, with the grilled food being weighed down with a heated brick. The meat cooks faster and stays juicy. Tropo buono!

Ingredients (2 servings)
1		small chicken, about 700 g
2	twigs	fresh rosemary
2		garlic cloves
1		lemon, juiced
1		heavy brick wrapped in aluminum foil
80	ml	extra virgin olive oil for the salsa
2		red onions, cut into rings, 1 cm thick
2	bunch	spring onions, trimmed and washed
2		red and green pepperonis (little peppers)
1/2	bunch	parsley
1	handful	garlic
1/2		lemon, zested
some		salt, freshly ground pepper

Use kitchen scissors or poultry shears to cut open the chicken along the backbone on both sides, remove the backbone and open up the chicken.
Remove the needles from the rosemary sprigs, finely chop the needles with the garlic cloves, mix with the lemon juice and rub the mixture well into the bird, pushing some of the mixture under the skin. Salt on both sides. The chicken can be prepared the night before and left to marinate in the fridge overnight.
Take out in good time and allow to come to room temperature (about 1 hour before grilling).
Heat up the barbecue, let the brick get really hot over the embers (about 15 minutes).
Brush the chicken with olive oil and place bone-side down on medium-high grill over the coals, weigh down with the hot brick and flatten.
Grill for 15 minutes, then turn skin-side down and grill again, weighted with the brick, for 10-15 minutes, until nicely browned and crispy.
Lay the onions and peppers all around and grill as well.
Meanwhile, prepare the parsley salsa: Finely chop the parsley and garlic clove, mix in a bowl with the olive oil, lemon zest, salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread some of the salsa over the chicken and onions, and serve with the rest.

Tip:
In order for the chicken to cook through properly, it is important that it is at room temperature before grilling. So remove from the fridge in plenty of time to allow it to come up to room temperature. If you want to be on the safe side, you can also cut the knuckles a little at the joint, then they will cook through even faster.