Chicken Under a Brick

This chicken dish from Rome can be made using poussin or Cornish game hens. Cooking one side under a heavy weight, such as a foil-wrapped brick in the case, has been practiced for centuries. It ensures a crispy skin and a moist interior. Here's how it's done:

Ingredients:

two 1-lb. Cornish game hens or poussin (French for a very young, small chicken)
salt and pepper
4 sage leaves
2 rosemary sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
3 Tbs. olive oil
lemon quarters for garnish

Place a large heavy skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Butterfly the whole chicken by removing the backbones and tucking the wingtips under themselves so the skin and the chicken lie flat (figure A).