Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes
Fresh to Market Brick Chicken with Balsamic Pan Gravy
- Prep time
- 20 minutes PT20M
- Cook time
- 2 hours PT2H
- Yield
- 2–4 servings
- Difficulty

Boasting crispy mahogany skin and a decadent balsamic pan gravy, this brick chicken is one for the recipe books! Making the stock is optional, but it's a great option for using the whole bird.
Ingredients
Brick Chicken with Balsamic Pan Gravy:
- 1 whole Fresh to Market Chicken, halved with backbone, wing tips, and giblets removed and reserved
- ¼ cup Fresh to Market Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 brick, washed and covered in foil
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dried black mission figs
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups chicken stock
Homemade Chicken Stock:
- Bones and giblets of 1 whole chicken
- 1 rib celery
- 1 carrot
- 1 shallot
- 1 bay leaf
Preparation
To make the chicken stock, place chicken bones and giblets in a small saucepan and cover with water. Add celery, carrot, shallot, and bay leaf and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours, skimming the stock frequently.
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
To prepare the chicken, heat olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. When the oil starts to shimmer, place the chicken skin-side down in the pan. Place the foil-wrapped brick on top.
When the edges of the chicken start to brown, place the whole pan in the oven. After about 25 minutes, start checking the chicken's internal temperature. When the internal temperature reaches 165ºF (this could take up to 10 more minutes), remove pan from oven. Carefully transfer chicken to a platter and to rest.
Pour out all but about 1 tablespoon of the pan oil, then place pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk vigorously for 2–3 minutes, or until the flour and oil mixture takes on a nutty aroma. Add the diced figs and deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar, taking care to scrape up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add 2 cups of chicken stock and continue whisking until the gravy becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Serve half of the bird per person or carve into quarters to serve four. Serve with a liberal helping of the pan gravy.
Techniques used in this recipe:
- deglaze
- deglaze: to use a liquid, such as wine, water, or stock, to dissolve food particles and/or caramelized drippings left in a pan after roasting or sauteing.