Chicken Under a Brick

Wrap two bricks in several layers of aluminum foil and set aside. Remove spine and ribs from the chicken, being careful not to break the skin. (this is called spatchcocking). Gently separate the skin from the breast meat and insert two sage leaves on each side. Dry the skin with a paper towel and season both sides of the bird with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy frying pan, (cast iron is best) with a tbsp. of butter and olive oil and wipe with a paper towel to create a thin film in the pan. Place the chicken in the hot pan skin side down and put the bricks on top of the bird. Cook on top of the stove until the skin is nicely browned. Do not move the bird around the pan, check by lifting with a spatula. When the skin is browned, remove the bricks and turn the chicken. Place the pan in a 400 F. oven until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 F. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 5 min. Divide the bird into halves and serve.