GREEK SPLIT ROASTED CHICKEN

Greek Split Roasted Chicken

A million recipes for poultry later, you have an epiphany on a particular one that’s been lurking in the back of your mind and today is D-Day.

This dish piqued my interest when I first came across the recipe and I swore it wouldn’t remain one of the unsung heroes in my chicken arsenal.

There’s little fussiness where this recipe is concerned and you can forego the marinating process if you are rushed for time. The results are just as glorious.

Considering the simplicity of the ingredients deployed, it yields for one of the most delectable, juiciest roast chicken renditions EVAH. Truly epic, chicken nirvana. So, don’t give it another thought. This IS your dinner tonight – it’s really DY-NO-MITE.

1 small/medium roasting chicken – without giblets split in half

1 TSP of garlic powder

1 TSP kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

3 TSP of dried oregano

1 large lemon – zest AND juice – plus add the squeezed halves into the roasting pan

1 head of garlic – cloves separated and left with their skins whole

¼ cup of olive oil

2 TBSP chilled butter – DON’T SKIP THE BUTTER

stalks of parsley

¼ cup of white wine

1 can of artichoke hearts (optional)

 

PREHEAT OVEN 375F

In a deep baking dish or roasting pan, place the washed and dried chicken cut side down. In a small bowl mix the dry rub: dried oregano (crushed between your fingers to release the oils), garlic powder, salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper (you could use no-salt lemon pepper).  In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice.

Massage the dry rub over the whole chicken and under the skin of the breast, thigh, leg as much as possible.  Be liberal and use the whole mix. Pour the wet marinade over chicken and insert the garlic cloves around the chic. Add the wine to the bottom of the baking dish and place pats of chilled butter on top of the chicken and under the skin and throw in the parsley stalks along with the lemon halves. Marinate for about 2-6 hours (if you are short for time, forego this step).

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes uncovered.  Remove from the heat, tent with foil and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

 

NOTE

This was a small chicken, so half per person was ideal and juicy beyond belief.  The rest of the drippings and juices were saved in a small container and refrigerated, as that is considered the real deal “flavorfest” to add to any soup, roast, meatloaf or veggie dish in the future. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about – that umami secret weapon lurking around which will give that DY-NO-MITE factor to any dish.

Let’s talk butter. Everyone knows everything’s better with butter – however, most people avoid it like the plague due to its fat content. Nevertheless, if you are using it sparingly to certain dishes, it will take your creations from the ordinary to the extraordinary, hence there are exceptions to every rule.  In this case, you are using 2 TBSP of butter used scantily, seriously, don’t skip it.

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