4 Days till Christmas..eat this..Greek-Style Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

Greek-Style Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

Serves 4
Ingredients
1 3-4 lb whole chicken, preferably organic
1 ½ pounds small waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold
2 garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cut the potatoes into 2-inch pieces and place them in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan (or thereabouts–something that is big enough for the chicken to rest on. Toss them with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and the oregano, and squeeze just a bit of half the lemon on top. Push the potatoes towards the edges, making a space in the center fort the chicken.

Rinse the chicken and remove the livers. Pat the chicken dry and put it, breast side up, on the baking dish that’s holding the potatoes. Using a paring knife, pierce it about three times in each half of the breast. Wedge a slice of garlic into each piercing. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some freshly ground pepper. Flip the chicken. Repeat on the other side, piercing the thigh and leg meat, and wedging in slices of garlic. Sprinkle with the remaining salt. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and squeeze the rest of the first half of the lemon on top of the chicken. Cut a piece of foil so that it fits around the chicken, and place it on top like a hat.

Bake the chicken for about 45 minutes, basting occasionally with its juices, until the chicken is cooked through–you’ll know it’s cooked when the juices run clear. It may take longer than this, depending on the size of your chicken, but you’ll just have to check. You’ll also have to check on the potatoes–if they’re not close to done, cook a bit longer before proceeding to the next step.

Take the chicken out of the oven. Toss the potatoes and remove the foil hat. Turn the chicken over so it’s breast-side up and squeeze the second half of the lemon over it. Drizzle on a little more olive oil. Raise the heat to 425°F and cook for about 10-15 more minutes, until the skin browns a bit and the potatoes are done.

Remove and let rest about 5 minutes before carving up the chicken and plating each portion with a generous serving of potatoes.