Recipes Inspired by the Mothers of Celebrity Chefs and Cookbook Authors

Half Chicken Grilled Under a Brick
By Reed Hearon, Executive-Chef/Owner, Rose Pistola, Black Cat, Rosa's Cafe, San Francisco, CA

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 chickens split in half with backs removed
  
  Brine for Chicken
• 2 oz salt
• 10 black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 cups water
• 6 cups ice water
• Teaspoon black pepper
• 4 rosemary sprigs
• 2 cloves garlic sliced
  
  Compound Butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 anchovy filets
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 bunch chives chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 lb softened butter
  
  Salad of Cress
• Lemon juice
• Teaspoon salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Mixed watercress

1. Bring to a boil the 1 gallon of water, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Mix with the 3 gallons of ice and water. Submerge chickens in brine and leave for at least 5 hours.
2. Take chickens out of brine and drain off any excess water. Season the chicken with pepper and place a few slices of garlic and one sprig of rosemary on the skin of the chicken. Place the chicken on a hot griddle skin side down, with a brick on top and brown it on one side. Flip it over and allow it to finish cooking.
3. In a mortar pound the garlic, anchovy, lemon and salt. Mix it with the chives, pepper and butter. Chill until ready to serve.
4. By mixing, dissolve the salt in the lemon juice. Then whisk in the olive oil. Toss the watercress in the salad dressing. Serve the chicken cut with the salad on the side and a dab of compound butter on top.