Grilled Tuscan Chicken - Trattoria dell'Orto: Florence, Italy

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I haven't had much Grilled Tuscan Chicken, but I believe this is the best that chicken can taste. That says a lot coming from a person who has eaten at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken in Memphis. It also says something that in my 1 week visit to Tuscany, I actually ate this dish twice and wanted to eat it many more times. I was obsessed with this dish.

Perfectly flavored and tender with crisp smokey skin and paired with buttery roasted potatoes...I have been
craving this experience here in the States. You can't find this on a menu in the US. I tried making it once in a pan, but that's not possible either as you need the flavor that's imparted by charcoal briquettes. You have to have a grill to achieve this level of perfection. Or you can just go to Trattoria dell'Orto in Florence, Italy. The ambiance is not great inside. You need to ask to be seated on the patio in the back, which has better scenery. The main server, who happens to be the owner's wife, is not terribly friendly, but it doesn't matter. The food is authentic and the house wine is delicious. 
Trattoria dell'OrtoVia dell'Orto 35A, 50124 Florence, Italy+39.055.224148 | www.trattoriadellorto.com/



I happened to be watching America's Test Kitchen on PBS this past weekend (don't ask why), and they happened to feature a Tuscan Brick Chicken. The recipe is  below. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks really close to what I had in Florence. As soon as I have access to a grill, I'm going to try to recreate this fantastic dish. 

For the best flavor, use a high-quality chicken, such as Bell & Evans. Use an oven mitt or dish towel to safely grip and maneuver the hot bricks. If you’re using table salt, reduce the amount to 1½ teaspoons in step 2. You will need two standard-sized bricks for this recipe. Placing the bricks on the chicken while it cooks ensures that the skin will be evenly browned and well rendered—don’t skip this step. A cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan can be used in place of the bricks.
Ingredients1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil8 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 1/2 tablespoons)1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon , plus 2 tablespoons juice  Pinch crushed red pepper flakes4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary  Kosher salt (see note)  Ground black pepper1 (3 3/4- to 4 1/4-pound) whole chicken (see note)  Vegetable oil for cooking grate
Instructions1. Combine oil, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper flakes in small saucepan. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat, about 3 minutes. Once simmering, add 3 teaspoons thyme and 2 teaspoons rosemary and cook 30 seconds longer. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over small bowl, pushing on solids to extract oil. Transfer solids to small bowl and cool; set oil and solids aside.
2. Following illustrations below, butterfly chicken, flatten breastbone, and tuck wings behind back. Using hands or handle of wooden spoon, loosen skin over breast and thighs and remove any excess fat. Combine 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Mix 3 teaspoons salt mixture with cooled garlic solids. Spread salt-garlic mixture evenly under skin over chicken breast and thighs. Sprinkle remaining teaspoon salt mixture on exposed meat of bone side. Place chicken skin-side up on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
3. Wrap 2 bricks tightly in aluminum foil. Light large chimney starter filled three-quarters with charcoal (4½ quarts, or about 75 briquettes) and burn until coals are covered with layer of fine gray ash, about 20 minutes. Build modified two-level fire by arranging all coals over half of grill, leaving other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, place bricks on grate over coals, cover grill, and heat about 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean with grill brush. Lightly dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when side with coals is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 3 to 4 seconds).
4. Place chicken skin-side down over cooler side of grill with legs facing fire, place hot bricks lengthwise over each breast half, cover grill, and cook until skin is lightly browned and faint grill marks appear, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove bricks from chicken. Using tongs or towel, grip legs and flip chicken (chicken should release freely from grill; use thin metal spatula to loosen if stuck) and transfer to hot side of grill, skin-side up, with breast facing center of grill. Place bricks over breast, cover grill, and cook until chicken is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Remove bricks, flip chicken skin-side down over hot coals, and cook until chicken skin is well crisped and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes, moving chicken as necessary to prevent flare-ups. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Whisk lemon juice and remaining thyme and rosemary into reserved oil; season with salt and pepper. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce separately.
TechniquePrepping Chicken for the Grill1. BUTTERFLY Cut through bones on either side of backbone, then discard backbone. 2. PRESS Flip chicken over, then flatten breastbone and tuck wings behind back. 3. SEPARATE Loosen skin over breast and thighs and remove any excess fat. 4. SALT Spread salt-garlic mixture under skin of breast and thighs. Spread salt mixture on meat of bone side.