Mediterranean roast chicken
I have wanted to make this recipe since I read it in the Smitten Kitchen cookbook a few years back. The only problem is that Fred just despises olives. There are some things that he hates that I can sometimes sneak into recipes, like mustard, because I know that it won't end up tasting overwhelmingly "mustardy" but olives...those are tricky to hide.
The perfect opportunity came a few weekends ago when one of my besties was spending the weekend. Not only was she open to olives, but this recipe takes no time at all. This way, I wasn't going to be slaving away in the kitchen and we could focus on more important things - like drinking wine and gabbing.
Aside from a few quick tasks, the oven does all the work. I served this with some roasted sweet potatoes that cooked alongside the chicken. The chicken was so tender, the sauce was amazing, and the combination of sweet and salty with the grapes/olives was just perfect. Lucky for me, we had leftovers and Fred didn't want any part of it because of the olives. More for me! The only downside is I'll have to wait for other houseguests until I can make this again.
Mediterranean roast chicken
Adapted, just barely, from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook
Time: About 45 minutes
Level: Easy
Ingredients
3-pound whole chicken, cut up into parts (wings are not needed; just use breasts, thighs, and legs)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup seedless black grapes
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees and position a rack in the middle.
Cut your whole chicken into parts - I didn't use the wings, just the thighs, breasts, and drumsticks. Remove the neck and any organs that are in the center (use those for whatever you wish - maybe save for chicken stock). Pat the chicken pieces dry and season liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a 12" cast iron skillet (or other ovensafe skillet) until it's shimmering. Brown the chicken on both sides (skin side down first) - takes about 5 minutes total. Don't move the chicken as it's browning so it has a chance to develop some nice color. I had to brown the chicken in batches; place the chicken in a plate while you brown the rest.
Return all the chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Place the grapes, olives and shallots all around the chicken. Roast the pan in the oven for about 20 minutes (you want the chicken to be just cooked through; its juices will run clear when you poke a piece).
Transfer the chicken, grapes, and olives to a platter, leaving all the juices in the pan. Add wine and stock to the skillet; bring to a boil and be sure to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let boil for about 3 minutes, or until the liquid has been reduced by half. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with rosemary.
Mangia!