Chicken Al Mattone With Thyme Pesto

Name: Chicken Al Mattone With Thyme Pesto
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, and backbone removed; 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons fresh thyme or lemon thyme leaves; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 1-foot-square paving stone wrapped in aluminum foil (use a cast iron skillet if you can't find one); 1 lemon, cut into wedges; 1 1/2 cups Italian flat-leaf parsley; 1/2 cup thyme leaves; 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated; 1 lemon, zested; 1/2 cup toasted walnuts; 2 garlic cloves; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

15 ingredients

4 steps

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, and backbone removed
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme or lemon thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1-foot-square paving stone wrapped in aluminum foil (use a cast iron skillet if you can't find one)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 1/2 cups Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup thyme leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1

To marinate the chicken: Place chicken, skin side up, in a glass baking dish. Press down on the center of the breast to break the sternum. The chicken should lie flat now. Rub it with marinade, making sure to loosen the skin and rub the marinade under the skin as well. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
2

To grill the chicken: Remove chicken from refrigerator. Drain the marinade and pat the chicken dry. Season it with salt and pepper. Wrap your paving stone in foil (I pulled a cement paving stone out of my garden and washed it off). Prepare your grill. (Note: I threw a few mesquite wood chips onto my grill to give it a little something extra.) Brush your grill rack with a bit of oil. When the fire reaches medium-high heat and you can hold your hand over the grill about 5 seconds, place the chicken skin-side-down on the grill grate. Brush your wrapped paving stone with a little oil and then place it on top of the chicken. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes. Using grilling gloves, very carefully remove the stone. Flip the chicken, replace the stone on top, and grill until chicken is done, about 12 to 15 minutes longer. About five minuets before chicken is done, grill the lemon wedges. Transfer everything to a serving platter. Let chicken rest, covered with foil, for 5 to 10 minutes, and then cut into quarters.
3

For the pesto: Combine parsley, thyme leaves, lemon zest, Parmesan, walnuts, and garlic in a food processor. When finely chopped, add olive oil in a steady stream until pesto is smooth. Season to taste with salt. (Note: this can be done up to 1 week ahead.)
4

Serve grilled chicken with a dollop of pesto and a lemon wedge. Tell your diners to squeeze the lemon over the pesto. Enjoy.